Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Coudersport, Pennsylvania 16915
Friday, October 4, 1996 16:15 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
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.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
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.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/4/1996 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1615 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | COUDERSPORT |
| Event State | PENNSYLVANIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 16915 |
| Event Date Year | 1996 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1950 GMT |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 270 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KBF |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 2143 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 35 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | GMT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 4000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 20 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 8 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -4 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 90 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 2 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1690 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Oct 4 1996 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1800 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 10:25AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N5154E |
| NTSB Number | NYC97LA001 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 172 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 172 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 17271740 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2300 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Dec 4 1995 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 125 |
| Airframe Hours | 4483 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | DUFFYS AIRCRAFT SALES AND LEAS |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | N3675 PRAY AVE |
| Aircraft Owner City | NEILSVILLE |
| Aircraft Owner State | WI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 54456 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | AMERICAN IMAGES |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | P.O. BOX 50 |
| Operator City | MARSHIELD |
| Operator State | WI |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 54449 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Aerial Observation |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | BFD |
| Departure City | BRADFORD |
| Departure State | PA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1410 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |