What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 2005-08-26 involved a Cessna 172H, registration N3946R, at Corry, PA.

Loss of Control on Final Approach Leads to Fatal Accident (N3946R)

On August 26, 2005, a Cessna 172H (registration N3946R) was involved in an aviation accident near Corry, PA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and collision with terrain. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.

During final approach, the pilot reported a yaw upon adding power, followed by unresponsive controls and a stall. Witnesses observed a low, slow approach with rocking wings. The front seat passenger was fatally injured; seat belt was unfastened. No mechanical anomalies found.

Accident Details

The pilot reported that as he added power on final approach to the runway, the airplane experienced a yaw. Subsequently, the wings began to rock, the controls became unresponsive, and the airplane entered a stall. The pilot and a back seat passenger survived the accident, but the front seat passenger sustained fatal injuries. Emergency workers noted that the front seat passenger's seat belt was not fastened at the time of the accident.

Witness Observations

Witnesses on the ground stated that the airplane approached the runway "low and slow." They observed the wings rocking before the right wing dipped, the airplane curved to its right, and then descended from view.

Pilot Experience

A review of the pilot's records showed that he had accumulated a total of 93 hours of flight experience at the time of the accident.

Investigation Findings

An examination of the airplane revealed no mechanical anomalies that could have contributed to the loss of control. The accident sequence was consistent with an aerodynamic stall following a low-speed, low-altitude approach.

2005-08-26: Cessna 172H (N3946R) — Corry, PA