Cessna 172 accident near Coudersport, Pennsylvania, October 4, 1996
On October 4, 1996 at about 8:15 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N5154E, was destroyed in an accident near Coudersport, Pennsylvania. It was an aerial observation flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's improper in-flight planning/decision, and his failure to ensure that adequate airspeed would be maintained, while maneuvering at low altitude to photograph a residence. The rising terrain and lack of altitude were related factors.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 4, 1996 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- Coudersport, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N5154E · registry record · serial 17271740
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was maneuvering the airplane at low altitude to photograph a private residence. The house was located at the base of a hollow with steeply rising terrain on both sides. The general area from the house to the accident site was a hollow (valley). A witness '...two to three hundred yards down the mountain from the accident site...' said he heard the airplane fly over. He said the airplane '...went overhead two or three times and I noticed they were quite low. The last time I saw them go over ... [the airplane] seemed to be working fine. I didn't perceive any motor problems. They gunned it to climb over the valley - seemed like they were climbing.' The witness said that he then heard '...a severe noise...' when the airplane crashed. Neither the pilot nor the passenger had any recollection of the accident. Examination of the aircraft did not disclose evidence of a mechanical malfunction.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 795 hours in all; 218 in this make and model; 454 in the last 90 days; 137 in the last 30 days; 672 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,483 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 4, 1995; 125 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BFD Bradford PA at 6:10 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.