Cessna 175 accident near Pittsfield, Massachusetts, April 20, 1996
On April 20, 1996 at about 7:15 pm local time, a Cessna 175, registered N7002M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pittsfield, Massachusetts (Pittsfield Municipal). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's inadequate crosswind compensations during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 20, 1996 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- Pittsfield, Massachusetts · Pittsfield Municipal
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 175 · all 175s on the register
- Registration
- N7002M · registry record · serial 55302
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was practicing crosswind landings to runway 26. He was making a full-stop landing after two touch-and-go landings. During the landing roll, as the airplane was decelerating, the left wing lifted and the right wing struck the runway. The pilot reported that the winds were from 160 to 200 degrees at 8 to 10 knots, with gusts to 20 knots. He stated '...a gust of wind caught the left wing and tipped the aircraft....'
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: 324 hours in all; 293 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 266 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,507 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 15, 1995; 27 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PSF at 4:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 9 knots, gusting 20
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.