Cessna 172Q accident near Meadville, Pennsylvania, March 8, 1984
On March 8, 1984 at about 7:02 pm local time, a Cessna 172Q, registered N96286, was destroyed in an accident near Meadville, Pennsylvania. It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 8, 1984 · about 7:02 pm local time
- Place
- Meadville, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172Q · all 172Qs on the register
- Registration
- N96286 · no longer on the register · serial 17276051
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
PLTS WERE BRIEFED ON SNOWSTORM ADVANCING TOWARD DESTINATION, DEPARTED IN HOPE OF ARRIVING AHEAD OF WX. ENCOUNTING IMC CONDITIONS (SNOW) ENROUTE, PLT FILED IFR AND CONTINUED. COMMUNICATIONS TRANSCRIPT INDICATES THAT WHEN ENG BEGAN TO LOSE POWER, PLT USED CARB HEAT TO REMEDY, ALTHOUGH CONDITIONS NOT CONDUCIVE TO CARB ICE. POWER WAS REGAINED. THEN LOST TOTALLY, PARTIALLY REGAINED, THEN LOST FINALLY AND TOTALLY DURING EMERGENCY DESCENT. INVESTIGATION SHOWED THAT DURING APPARENT LANDING ATTEMPT IN OPEN FIELD IN SNOWSTORM, RIGHT WINGTOP MADE INITIAL IMPACT WITH TERRAIN AND ACFT CARTWHEELED TO A STOP, SUSTAINING OTHER DAMAGE. COCKPIT SHOWED RIGHT-TO-LEFT OCCUPANT CONTACT WITH INSTRUMENT PANEL. ENG INDUCTION AIR FILTER WAS FOUND TO BE TOTALLY BLOCKED WITH IMPACTED SNOW. IMPACTED SNOW AND ICE FOUND BETWEEN COLLING FINS OF #1 AND #2 CYLINDERS AND CARB HEAT INTAKE, AS WELL AS AROUND STARTER, ALTERNATOR, BELTS AND OTHER ENG FWD EEXTERIOR SURFACES.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,476 hours in all; 279 in this make and model; 207 in the last 90 days; 82 in the last 30 days; 4,242 as pilot in command; 1,498 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 65 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4N (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 5B5 Bennington VT at 4:15 pm
- Destination: YNG Youngstown OH
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 12 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 13 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded at 100 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:05 pm from FKL, 22 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.