Cessna 172 accident near North Kingstown, Rhode Island, September 19, 1993
On September 19, 1993 at about 1:37 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N9931Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near North Kingstown, Rhode Island (Quonset State Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT INADVERTENTLY ALLOWED THE AIRPLANE TO STALL AS HE WAS MANEUVERING TO AVOID BIRDS ON FINAL APPROACH.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 19, 1993 · about 1:37 pm local time
- Place
- North Kingstown, Rhode Island · Quonset State Airport
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N9931Q · registry record · serial 17265875
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT BEGAN AN APPROACH TO RUNWAY 5 WITH THE WIND FROM 340 DEGREES AT 15 KNOTS. THE OTHER RUNWAY AT THE AIRPORT WAS ORIENTED ALONG A MAGNETIC BEARING OF 340 DEGREES. THE PILOT DID NOT REQUEST AN AIRPORT ADVISORY BEFORE THE APPROACH. AS THE AIRPLANE CROSSED THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD, NUMEROUS SEAGULLS FLEW IN FRONT OF IT. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE BANKED RIGHT TO AVOID THE SEAGULLS, AND THE AIRPLANE STALLED. THE NOSE GEAR HIT THE GROUND, AND A GO-AROUND WAS ATTEMPTED. A GROUND WITNESS, A CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE 'HIT HARD' AND DRIFTED TO THE RIGHT. THE RIGHT WING CONTACTED THE GROUND, AND THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS WERE REPORTED.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 470 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 377 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,900 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 7, 1993
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3B2 Marshfield MA at 1:15 pm
- Destination: OQU
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 5, 4,003 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 14,000 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number BFO93LA179.