Cessna 172N accident near Sterling, Massachusetts, May 31, 2010
On May 31, 2010 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N6371D, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR go-around) near Sterling, Massachusetts (Sterling Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s decision to not continue with the go-around, which resulted in a collision with trees. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s distraction due to the passenger’s panicked condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 31, 2010 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Sterling, Massachusetts · Sterling Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N6371D · no longer on the register · serial 17272757
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot entered the traffic pattern for runway 34 based on the prevailing wind. She observed the wind sock change to favor runway 16 and in response she maneuvered the airplane for a runway 16 landing. The wind changed direction again to favor runway 34 and she maneuvered the airplane to that runway. She thought the airplane was too high over the touchdown zone and elected to perform a go-around. The passenger in the right seat panicked and started screaming, so the pilot discontinued the go-around, closed the throttle, and the airplane settled into the trees past the runway’s end. The airplane sustained structural damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
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
What happened, in order
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during approach (VFR go-around) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Psychological › Mental/emotional state › Anxiety/panic › Passenger
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 412 hours in all; 408 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 412 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 8, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,086 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 15, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H20D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 2B2 Newbury Port MA at 6:45 pm
- Destination: 3B3 Sterling MA
- Flight plan: VFR then IFR
- Runway 34, 3,086 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 7:52 pm from FIT, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.