- Date
- September 1, 1989, 22:05 local (Sep 2, 1989, 02:05 UTC)
- Place
- Northfield, NH
- Injuries
- 4 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N65595Cessna 172P
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report January 23, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890901033259A
- Case key
- 36296
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
The pilot initiated flight into known adverse weather which resulted in a loss of control. Contributing factor(s) was: the pilot's overconfidence and the existing weather conditions.
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
Earlier in the day, at 1317 and at 1553, the plt received wx briefings for a VFR flt from newburyport to laconia, to return later in the evening. The 1553 briefing included an advisory that VFR flt was not recommended. Acft departed laconia at 2155 for return flt. Contacted apch control at 2158. At 2206 controller tried to contact flt but there was no response. Wreckage found next morning. Another aircraft, which had departed behind N65595, encountered low ceilings and extreme turbulence causing it to crash in a hay field.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N65595
- Reported as
- Cessna 172P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17275782
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D2J, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Harry P. Avakian
- Departed
- LCI · Laconia, NH
- Destination
- 2B2 · Newburyport, MA
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
- 63
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,535 total · 1,499 in this make and model · 1,275 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 170° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- CON, 12 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.