Cessna 170 accident near Eustis, Maine, September 1, 2025
On September 1, 2025 at about 5:30 pm local time, a 1956 Cessna 170, registered N3576D, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Eustis, Maine. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane during takeoff, which resulted in an inadvertent descent, contact with the water, and a subsequent nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 1, 2025 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Eustis, Maine · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170 B, built 1956 · all 170s on the register
- Registration
- N3576D · registry record · serial 27119
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the seaplane was departing from calm, glassy lake. During the takeoff, he leveled the airplane about 15 ft above the water in order to gain airspeed. The pilot then reached down to retract the airplane’s flaps and likely inadvertently applied forward pressure on the elevator control. The airplane then contacted the water and nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane’s fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane 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
- Nose over/nose down during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,160 hours in all; 327 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 1,128 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 25, 2024
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (waiver time limited special)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,804 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 5, 2025
- Maximum gross weight: 2,105 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-300 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: Fayette ME
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.30 inHg
- Observation at 12:56 pm from GNR, 38 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KGNR 011656Z AUTO VRB03KT 23/10 A3030 RMK AO1 SLP262 T02280100=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 2 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on December 4, 2025. 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record A�� Telephone Interview, Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for Record A�� Pilot Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Investigation Photographs | PDF, 3 pages · our copy | 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.