Cessna T337G accident near North Dansville, New York, May 16, 1997
On May 16, 1997 at about 11:05 am local time, a Cessna T337G, registered N1ZP, was destroyed in an accident near North Dansville, New York. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's improper decision to continue VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions, and his failure to maintain clearance from rising/wooded terrain. The adverse weather conditions and rising wooded terrain were related factors.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 16, 1997 · about 11:05 am local time
- Place
- North Dansville, New York · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T337G · all T337Gs on the register
- Registration
- N1ZP · registry record · serial P3370272
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot received a partial weather briefing before departure. Forecast for the destination airport was, in part: 900 ft scattered, 1,500 ft overcast, visibility greater than 6 mi, with occasional visibility of 5 mi, ceiling 900 ft broken, and 1,500 ft overcast. Elevation of the destination airport was 560 ft. The pilot departed without filing a flight plan. Radar data revealed that a radar target appeared 1 mile north of the departure airport, heading north. The radar target climbed to 2,400 feet, and then started a descent. The radar target disappeared about 1 mile south of the accident site at 2,100 feet, while heading north and descending. Subsequently, the airplane struck trees near the top of a hill at an elevation of about 1650 feet, while on a northerly heading. Witnesses in the area reported low clouds, fog, and rain. No preimpact mechanical failure was found. The blades of both propellers contained chordwise scratches and twisting or curling.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,273 hours in all; 500 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,152 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 9, 1996; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,700 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-360-C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3G6 Hornell NY at 10:55 am
- Destination: ROC Rochester NY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 0.2 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds; 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.
Other NTSB records under N1ZP 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 NYC97FA092.