| Crash location | 42.427500°N, 73.292500°W |
| Nearest city | Pittsfield, MA
42.450085°N, 73.245382°W 2.9 miles away |
| Tail number | N73101 |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 25 Sep 2016 |
| Aircraft type | Cessna 172 |
| Additional details: | None |
The solo student pilot reported that on final, following a cross-country flight, "It was really bumpy", the airplane was at a "pretty steep angle", and the stall warning horn was "really going crazy". He further reported that he tried to avoid a stall, and lowered the nose of the airplane, and the airplane touched down to the left of the runway unexpectedly. The airplane continued to the left of the runway and impacted a ditch.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage.
The student pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
The student pilot’s failure to maintain an appropriate descent rate and runway alignment during the landing flare, which resulted in the airplane touching down left of the runway and impacting a ditch.