NTSB Identification: ERA11FA369
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Tuesday, June 28, 2011 in Poughkeepsie, NY
Aircraft: CESSNA 172M, registration: N61579
Injuries: 2 Fatal.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
On June 28, 2011, at 1212 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172M, N61579, registered to Millbrook Flight LLC., and operated by a private individual, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain during short final approach to runway 24 at Dutchess County Airport (POU), Poughkeepsie, New York. The certificated airline transport pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local flight, which departed POU about 1205.

According to preliminary information from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), a mechanic had replaced the airplane's horizontal situation indicator just prior to the accident flight. The pilot wanted to conduct a brief local flight to verify that the new instrument operated correctly, and offered the mechanic a ride in the airplane. The pilot and mechanic departed POU and remained in the traffic pattern. During final approach, about 500 feet from the runway threshold, the airplane impacted a field nose down and came to rest inverted.

A debris path originated with an approximate 3-foot by 5-foot crater, and extended approximately 75 feet on a 250-degree magnetic course to the main wreckage. The debris path consisted of ground scars and the nose landing gear. The ground scars were consistent with landing gear contact, in a nose-low, left wing low, left crab angle at ground impact. The airplane came to rest inverted on a heading of about 180 degrees magnetic, with the empennage partially separated and canted left. Evidence of a small postcrash fire was noted in the vicinity of the carburetor.

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