- Date
- January 10, 1993, 14:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Stow, MA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N52785Cessna 182P
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 25, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930110000239A
- Case key
- 11865
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
An inadequate preflight by the pilot, which allowed water contamination in the fuel and subsequent loss of engine power; and failure of the pilot to maintain adequate airspeed, which resulted in a stall.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
This was the first flight of the day, and the airplane was last refueled at minute man airport in November. According to aircraft records, the airplane was inactive for two months. There were no witnesses to the preflight; however, the aircraft was viewed by two other pilots to depart from runway 3. At about 100 feet above the ground, the engine sounds were intermittent. The witnesses reported that during the climb, black smoke was coming from the aircraft exhaust. A second witness, who saw the crash, stated that the pilot tried to make a left turn, but the airplane fell to the ground in a near vertical position. Inspection of the fuel system revealed about one quarter of the fuel contents of the fuel control valve was water. Both fuel caps were secured to their respective tanks, and when sprayed with water, no leakage past the caps into the tanks was noted. Examination of the engine did not disclose evidence of mechanical malfunction.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N52785
- Reported as
- Cessna 182P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18262843
- Airframe hours
- 2,287
- Engine
- Continental O-470-R, 265 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- John A Clinton
- Registered owner
- John A Clinton
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 28, 1992 · 40 hours before
- Departed
- 6B6
- Destination
- 6B6
- Airport
- 6B6 · Minute Man Airfield, runway 3, 2,743 × 50 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 48
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 725 total · 627 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 18 °F, dew point 1 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BED, 1 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.