Cessna 172N accident near Stonington, Maine, July 27, 2010
On July 27, 2010 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N6410F, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Stonington, Maine (Stonington Municipal 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during a crosswind landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 27, 2010 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Stonington, Maine · Stonington Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N6410F · no longer on the register · serial 17273219
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, as he flared the airplane for a crosswind landing to runway 25, he encountered a gust of wind. The airplane bounced once on the runway and veered left and right several times before the pilot was "unable to redirect the aircraft back" as it veered off the right side of the runway, into grass which sloped down to a drainage ditch. The pilot attempted to recover the airplane for "several hundred feet," before the right main landing gear got caught in higher grass and mud, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane. He further reported 888 hours of total flight time, including 857 hours in the make and model of the accident airplane. A weather report issued around the time of the accident, at an airport about 19 miles to the southwest, included winds from 290 at 12 knots, gusting to 15 knots.
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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › (general) › (general) › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Response/compensation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 888 hours in all; 857 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 839 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 7, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,492 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 9, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 63B Limington ME at 2:15 pm
- Destination: 93B Stonington ME
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 2,099 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 12 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 3:15 pm from RKD, 19 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
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.