Cessna 172 M accident near Olcott, New York, July 23, 1986
On July 23, 1986 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172 M, registered N9263H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Olcott, New York (Palmer 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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 23, 1986 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Olcott, New York · Palmer · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 M · all 172 Ms on the register
- Registration
- N9263H · registry record · serial 17266056
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT FLYING A CESSNA 172M WITH THREE PASSENGERS ON BOARD MADE A LANDING ON A 2500 FT GRASS RUNWAY. THIS WAS HIS FIRST LANDING ON A GRASS RUNWAY. HE TOUCHED DOWN FAST AND BECAME AIRBORNE, RECOVERED, AND BECAME AIRBORNE AGAIN. HIS AIRSPEED WAS TOO SLOW TO RECOVER AND THE LEFT WING DROPPED. THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED ON THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR AND DEPARTED THE RUNWAY ON THE LEFT SIDE. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A TREE WITH THE LEFT WING RECEIVING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PILOT AND THREE PASSENGERS EXITED THE AIRCRAFT UNINJURED.
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: 60 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 29 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, May 1, 1986
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 0G0 Lockport NY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 2,500 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: scat
- Temperature: 84°F (29°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.
Other NTSB records under N9263H the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number NYC86LA194.