- Date
- April 9, 1991, 12:08 local (17:08 UTC)
- Place
- New Bedford, MA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6005RCessna 172G
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 27, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910409009499A
- Case key
- 36789
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's improper planning/decision and failure to maintain proper altitude after encountering adverse weather at low altitude. The adverse weather (fog) was a related factor.
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
Two acft depd New Bedford on flts to martha's vinyard, MA. The plt of one acft diverted to another arpt due to deteriorating wx at the destn. The 2nd acft did not arrive & was found later where it had crashed in New Bedford harbor. A witness in a fishing boat said he had seen an acft flying at low alt (aprx 100 ft) toward the harbor. Scattered fog was rprtd in the bay area. There were indications the acft had impacted in a right wing low attitude, fatally injuring the occupants; however, the actual impact was not observed. No breimpact mechanical failure or malfunction of the acft was found.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6005R
- Reported as
- Cessna 172G
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17253674
- Airframe hours
- 2,686
- Engine
- Continental O-300-D, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Dennis Borges
- Registered owner
- Dennis Borges
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 3, 1990 · 61 hours before
- Departed
- EWB · New Bedford, MA
- Destination
- MVY · Martha Vineyard, 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
- 59
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 991 total · 983 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 10 knots
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- EWB, 6 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.