At 14:24 EST, a Cessna 172P crashed after departure from Saratoga County Airport, killing the flight instructor and the student pilot. The airplane departed runway 23 and began its climb. Witnesses differed on whether the climb was unusually steep, with one saying the climb attitude was normal and another equating it to biplanes he had seen … during airshows. The three witnesses did agree that the aircraft seemed to suffer a power loss, then banked steeply left and descend in what would be consistent with a stall/spin. A post-crash fire made determining the aircrafts pre-crash mechanical condition difficult. Damage to the propeller indicates the engine was producing little power on impact. The instructor had less than 500 hours total time, and the student pilot had 12.1 hours logged and had not yet soloed.
March 30, Ballston Spa, N.Y. / Cessna 172
At 14:24 EST, a Cessna 172P crashed after departure from Saratoga County Airport, killing the flight instructor and the student pilot. The airplane departed runway 23 and began its climb. Witnesses differed on whether the climb was unusually steep, with one saying the climb attitude was normal and another equating it to biplanes he had seen … during airshows. The three witnesses did agree that the aircraft seemed to suffer a power loss, then banked steeply left and descend in what would be consistent with a stall/spin. A post-crash fire made determining the aircrafts pre-crash mechanical condition difficult. Damage to the propeller indicates the engine was producing little power on impact...
Key Takeaways:
- A Cessna 172P crashed shortly after departing Saratoga County Airport, killing both the flight instructor and student pilot.
- Witnesses reported a suspected power loss before the aircraft banked steeply left and descended in a manner consistent with a stall/spin.
- Investigation suggests the engine was producing little power at impact, and both pilots had limited experience, with the student pilot having only 12.1 logged hours.
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