Cessna 172P accident near Tioga, Pennsylvania, June 30, 1997
On June 30, 1997 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N97613, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tioga, Pennsylvania (Bear Crik Airstrip airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper inflight decision to land downwind with an inoperative airspeed indicator, and his improper landing flare.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 30, 1997 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Tioga, Pennsylvania · Bear Crik Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N97613 · no longer on the register · serial 17276216
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After takeoff, the airspeed indicator failed, and the pilot diverted to another airport. The pilot removed mud from the pitot tube and refueled the airplane. He then departed with the passengers to return to the original point of departure, and while en route the airspeed indicator failed again. According to the pilot, '...As (the destination) has 50ft obstacle on one end, I elected to land downwind...I made a low and as slow an approach...Upon landing I found I was too fast and applied full brakes on uneven terrain. Front wheel broke off and I held the airplane up...When the front came down, the gear post dug into the strip and the aircraft flipped on it's back...' Examination of the airplane and the grass airstrip revealed that the airplane touched down on the first one-third of the runway. The airplane bounced and touched down about 1,000 feet from the approach end of the runway. It then became airborne again, touched down 500 feet later, and the nose wheel dug into the dirt and the airplane nosed over.
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: 340 hours in all; 229 in this make and model; 233 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,465 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 30, 1997; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: N38 Wellsboro PA at 9:15 pm
- Destination: 42PA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 3, 1,600 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:50 pm from ELM, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.