Cessna 175 accident near Quantico, Virginia, March 3, 1995
On March 3, 1995 at about 5:30 am local time, a Cessna 175, registered N7175M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Quantico, Virginia. 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 failure of a connecting rod, which resulted in the total loss of engine power. Subsequently, the airplane was ditched.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 3, 1995 · about 5:30 am local time
- Place
- Quantico, Virginia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 175 · all 175s on the register
- Registration
- N7175M · no longer on the register · serial 55475
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING CRUISE FLIGHT, THERE WAS A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AND NO OIL PRESSURE INDICATION. THE PILOT PERFORMED A FORCED LANDING AND DITCHED THE AIRPLANE IN THE POTOMAC RIVER. THE FAA INSPECTOR'S REPORT STATED, '...UPON INSPECTING THE ENGINE, A HOLE APPROXIMATELY 3 INCH IN DIAMETER WAS FOUND IN THE UPPER PART OF THE CRANK CASE. PART OF THE NUMBER 3 CONNECTING ROD WAS LAYING ON TOP OF THE ENGINE....'
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,500 hours in all; 300 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,500 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental GO-300 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: W32 Clinton MD
- Destination: BKT Blackstone VA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.