- Date
- September 17, 1985, 21:30 local (Sep 18, 1985, 02:30 UTC)
- Place
- Ware, MA
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N738SACessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850917076209A
- Case key
- 35967
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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.
In flight collision with object
Proper altitude - not maintainedCause
Proper glidepath - not maintainedCause
Supervision - inadequateCause
Remedial action - delayedCause
Analysis
The student plt and CFI were practicing full stop night landings when the accident occurred. While on final apch for thefourth landing, the acft collided with trees 1.7 NM short of the rwy.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N738SA
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17270191
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Roberts Aviation
- Registered owner
- Wallace Matukaitis
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 1, 1985 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- PMX · Palmer, MA
N738SARegistration cancelled Oct 17, 2012 · Cessna 172NAirframe modelCessna 172NEngine modelLycoming 0-320 series
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
- 36
- Certificate
- Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 729 total · 145 in this make and model · 552 as pilot in command · 191 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.