Cessna 172 accident near Erie, Pennsylvania, May 22, 1985
On May 22, 1985 at about 7:15 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N8703B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Erie, Pennsylvania (Erie airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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
- May 22, 1985 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- Erie, Pennsylvania · Erie
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N8703B · no longer on the register · serial 36403
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT BALLOONED DURING LANDING AND DRIFTED TO THE SIDE OF THE RWY WHERE IT MADE GROUND CONTACT IN A DRAINAGE AREA. THE ACFT BOUNCED AND CAME DOWN HARD BEFORE COMING TO A STOP. THE PLT SAID HE WAS HIGH ON APPRAOCH & LOWERED FULL FLAPS. THE ACFT WAS NOT PROPERLY ALIGNED WITH THE RWY PRIOR TO THE BOUNCE & DRIFT.
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: student
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 44 hours in all; 44 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 22 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,743 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,075 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental UNKNOWN (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Bradford PA at 6:15 am
- Destination: Erie PA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 9, 3,100 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Observation at 2:20 pm
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.