NTSB ERA20CA236 — 2020-07-01 · Meadville, Pennsylvania, United States

Current FAA registration · N9127H

Make / Model: CESSNA 172M
Year of manufacture: 1975 · 45 years old at event
Engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES (180 hp)
Seats / Engines: 4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19750919
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S ACA16E

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N9127H Cessna 172 None

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's distraction while taxiing, which resulted in a taxiway excursion.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that while taxing to the runway, he was programming his GPS unit for the flight. When he looked up, he realized the airplane was near the end of the taxiway. He applied the brakes and attempted to stop on the pavement but was unsuccessful. The airplane rolled into the grass and down an embankment and sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

C Personnel issues-Task performance-Workload management-Task scheduling-Pilot - C
C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2020_ERA20CA236.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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