Cessna 305 accident near Narragansett, Rhode Island, July 4, 2016
On July 4, 2016 at about 4:50 pm local time, a 1953 Cessna 305, registered N5291G, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Narragansett, Rhode Island. It was a banner-towing flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined during a postaccident examination of the airframe and engine.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 4, 2016 · about 4:50 pm local time · cases in 2016
- Place
- Narragansett, Rhode Island · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 305, built 1953 · all 305s on the register
- Registration
- N5291G · registry record · serial 23413
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Banner-towing flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot performed a preflight inspection and sampled the fuel with no anomalies noted. He then departed on the flight with 5 hours of available fuel. About 3.5 hours into the flight, the airplane was flying about 500 ft over the ocean when the engine experienced a total loss of power. The pilot performed a forced landing to the water, subsequently egressed, and was rescued a brief time later. Examination of the engine after recovery revealed no obvious signs of mechanical anomalies with the engine that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Loss of engine power (total) during maneuvering defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Ditching during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,600 hours in all; 850 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,969.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 2,101 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470-11B (piston); 638 hours total
- Operator: Simmons Aviation Services LLC
The flight
- Departed from: WST Westerly RI
- Destination: WST Westerly RI
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from UUU, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
10 documents, released by the NTSB on July 26, 2018. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Attachment 1 to Specialist's Factual Report - Global Positioning System Device | data file | Download |
| 4 | Specialist's Factual Report - Global Positioning System Device | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Maintenance Log Excerpts | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Maintenance Logbook Discrepancies | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Cmi Engine Examination Report | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 14 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Memorandum for Record - No Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Photo Array | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N5291G the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N5291G on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 305 202 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,677 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470-11B 12,780 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Westerly State Airport · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Rhode Island 166 since 1982 · 17 in the last ten years
- Rhode Island 361 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N5291G 3 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA16LA244.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.