Cessna 172 accident near Normalville, Pennsylvania, September 24, 1997
On September 24, 1997, a Cessna 172, registered N35405, was destroyed in an accident near Normalville, Pennsylvania. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's inadequate clearance above an unlighted ridgeline in clouds and fog at night, and his decision to not file an IFR flight plan and his VFR flight into IMC conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 24, 1997
- Place
- Normalville, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N35405 · no longer on the register · serial 17256751
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed on a night VFR flight from Steubenville, Ohio to Williamsport, Pennsylvania by way of the Indian Head VOR. The airplane flew past the VOR and then collided with trees and terrain heading back in the direction of the VOR and the departure airport. The airplane collided with an unlighted ridge, about 2,800 feet msl. Both the sun and the moon were below the horizon at the time of the accident. According to a witness, the ridgeline was partially obscured by clouds. Another witness approximately 1/2 mile from the accident site said that he heard the airplane but did not see it. He stated: 'The engine was revved up -- really loud -- I mean max. I kept looking for the plane, but I never saw it.' A weather observation taken at the time of the accident reported cloud layers at 1,000 feet, 2,500 feet and 3,300 feet with mist. Examination of the wreckage and the airplane's engine revealed no pre-impact anomalies. Five different witnesses described the pilot's propensity to sleep at the flight controls.
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: airline transport pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,400 hours in all; 45 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,502 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 21, 1997; 72 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 2G2 Stuebenville OH
- Destination: IPT Williamsport PA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 310° at 10 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,500 ft; scat at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.