Cessna 172 accident near Reedsville, Pennsylvania, April 1, 1984
On April 1, 1984 at about 6:05 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N5261D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Reedsville, Pennsylvania (Mifflin CO. airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. 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
- April 1, 1984 · about 6:05 pm local time
- Place
- Reedsville, Pennsylvania · Mifflin CO. · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N5261D · no longer on the register · serial 17272479
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT REPORTED THAT AT ABOUT THE TIME HE APPLIED POWER TO TAKEOFF, THE ACFT VEERED TO THE LEFT. HE STATED THAT HIS EFFORTS TO RETURN THE ACFT TO THE CENTERLINE OF THE RWY DID NOT WORK. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT WENT THRU A SNOWBANK BESIDE THE RWY, THEN ENTERED SOFT TERRAIN & NOSED 0VER. HE REPORTED THAT THE WIND WAS FROM 310 AT 10 GUSTING 20 KTS.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 189 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 128 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Unknown (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,088 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 5,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 10 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.