Cessna 337G accident near Brant, New York, July 1, 1995
On July 1, 1995 at about 8:45 pm local time, a Cessna 337G, registered N72168, was substantially damaged in an accident near Brant, New York (Clark Field). 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 improper decision to takeoff with a tailwind condition on an unimproved grass strip and a subsequent premature rotation resulting in an aborted takeoff and a subsequent collision with a utility pole on the departure end of the grass strip.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 1, 1995 · about 8:45 pm local time
- Place
- Brant, New York · Clark Field
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 337G · all 337Gs on the register
- Registration
- N72168 · no longer on the register · serial 33701532
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THAT DURING THE TAKEOFF, '...PILOT SNEEZED. AIRCRAFT PITCHED UP [AND] ROTATED PREMATURELY....' THE PILOT ABORTED THE TAKEOFF. DURING THE ABORTED TAKEOFF, THE AIRPLANE OVERRAN THE MOWED PORTION OF THE GRASS STRIP AND COLLIDED WITH A UTILITY POLE AT THE DEPARTURE END OF THE STRIP. POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION REVEALED NO ANOMALIES WITH THE ENGINE OR AIRFRAME.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,160 hours in all; 629 in this make and model; 57 in the last 90 days; 24 in the last 30 days; 1,138 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 4,630 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: Louisville KY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 2,000 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,100 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:55 pm from JHW, 30 miles away
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.