Cessna 170A accident near Lagrangeville, New York, September 12, 1998
On September 12, 1998 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Cessna 170A, registered N4709Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lagrangeville, New York (Sky Acres airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during the takeoff, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 12, 1998 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Lagrangeville, New York · Sky Acres · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170A · all 170As on the register
- Registration
- N4709Q · no longer on the register · serial 20018
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the initial climb after takeoff, the airplane was observed climbing at a steep pitch angle. The airplane's wings rocked back and forth a few times, and then it rolled and dropped to the right. Witnesses described the engine noise as loud and constant until the point of impact. The airplane came to rest inverted in a wooded area about 1,600 feet beyond the approach end, 110 feet to the right of, and at an elevation 40 feet below the departure runway. Examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any pre-impact mechanical malfunctions.
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: 1,965 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 17, 1997; 58 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,050 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 44N at 6:30 pm
- Destination: N77 Mahopac NY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 3,828 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:45 pm from POU, 9 miles away
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.