Cessna 172N accident near Niagra Falls, New York, November 28, 1994
On November 28, 1994 at about 6:33 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N104CT, was substantially damaged in an accident near Niagra Falls, New York (Niagara Falls airport). It was a personal 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 PILOT'S INADEQUATE WEATHER EVALUATION AND THE ON GROUND ENCOUNTER WITH GUSTY WINDS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 28, 1994 · about 6:33 pm local time
- Place
- Niagra Falls, New York · Niagara Falls · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N104CT · no longer on the register · serial 17267671
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS HOLDING SHORT OF AND PERPENDICULAR TO RUNWAY 24 WHEN THE AIRPPLANE ENCOUNTERED A WIND GUST AND ROLLED OVER. THE PILOT INDICATED HE HAD NOTICED THE WINDS WERE INCREASING AND HE WAS JUST ABOUT TO REQUEST CLEARANCE TO TAXI BACK TO THE RAMP. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, '...[THE] WIND MOVE[D] [THE] AIRPLANE SIDE WAYS, THEN CARTWHEELED IT ON [THE] RIGHT WING, FLIPPING IT OVER....' AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT THE WINDS WERE REPORTED TO BE 025 DEGREES AT 25 KNOTS, WITH GUSTS TO 48 KNOTS.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,244 hours in all; 900 in this make and model; 39 in the last 90 days; 24 in the last 30 days; 1,197 as pilot in command; 77 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,880 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 13, 1994; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: BKL Cleveland OH
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 025° at 25 knots, gusting 48
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:36 pm from IAG
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.
Other NTSB records under N104CT the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.