Great Lakes 2T1A accident near Montague, Massachusetts, November 2, 2017
On November 2, 2017 at about 6:00 pm local time, a 1978 Great Lakes 2T1A, registered N3512L, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Montague, Massachusetts (Turners Falls Airport). It was a personal 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
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the attempted takeoff, which resulted in a runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 2, 2017 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Montague, Massachusetts · Turners Falls Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Great Lakes 2T1A 2, built 1978 · all 2T1As on the register
- Registration
- N3512L · no longer on the register · serial 0794
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot was initiating takeoff for the positioning flight with no winds and with the airplane's tail off the runway when the airplane suddenly veered left, which he could not correct. The airplane exited the left side of the runway and then slid down a sharp incline into a ditch and nosed over. Postaccident examination of the runway revealed skid marks made by the right main landing gear (MLG) tire that continued off the runway, and by the tailwheel tire, which began 50 ft past the beginning of the right MLG tire marks and also continued off the runway. The left MLG tire only made light tire marks, which indicates that the airplane was light on the left MLG tire during the takeoff. No flat spots were noted on either MLG tire, and examination of both brakes and the flight controls revealed no evidence of a preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. During an operational test, the left brake operated normally. The right brake could not be operationally tested due to damage to its components Given the evidence, it is likely that the pilot lost directional control during the attempted takeoff.
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 control on ground during takeoff defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during takeoff
- Runway excursion during takeoff
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
- Nose over/nose down during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,220 hours in all; 1,575 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 4,070 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 5, 2016
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,520 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AEIO-360-B1G6 (piston); 310 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 0B5 Montague MA at 6:00 pm
- Destination: ORE Orange MA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 3,200 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 6:52 pm from ORE, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
8 documents, released by the NTSB on March 6, 2019. 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/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | NTSB Record of Conversation | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Record of Conversation | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 4 | FAA Inspector Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Statement from Mechanic | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Excerpt from Maintenance Records | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 8 | NTSB Evidence Control Form | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.