Cessna 140 accident near Plymouth, Connecticut, October 11, 2025
On October 11, 2025 at about 7:00 pm local time, a 1947 Cessna 140, registered N2812N, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff (rejected takeoff) near Plymouth, Connecticut (Mount Tobe 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 plot’s failure to account sufficiently for the decrease in the airplane’s takeoff performance due to the wet turf runway, which resulted in a collision with a log barrier and subsequent nose over after aborting the takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 12, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 11, 2025 · about 7:00 pm local time · cases in 2025
- Place
- Plymouth, Connecticut · Mount Tobe · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 140, built 1947 · all 140s on the register
- Registration
- N2812N · registry record · serial 13073
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was attempting a short field takeoff on a wet turf runway that was 2,005-ft-long. The pilot reported that during the takeoff roll, the tailwheel-equipped airplane would not climb into ground effect and felt as if the one of the wheels was on the ground. Recognizing that the airplane would not be able to accelerate in ground effect, the pilot attempted to abort the takeoff. As the airplane approached a log barrier at the departure end of the runway, the pilot attempted to ground loop the airplane, but the left main landing gear wheel slid on the wet grass. The airplane subsequently impacted the log barrier at low speed, nosed over and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing strut, vertical stabilizer, and horizontal stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Based on the pilot’s description of the takeoff, it is likely that the wet runway condition reduced the airplane’s acceleration and resulted in the airplane not climbing into ground affect as otherwise expected during the takeoff from the relatively constrained turf runway.
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
- Loss of control on ground during takeoff (rejected takeoff) defining event
- Collision during takeoff/land during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Wet surface › Decision related to condition
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 352.3 hours in all; 196.7 in this make and model; 38.7 in the last 90 days; 19.5 in the last 30 days; 0 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 19, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,286.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2025
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental Aerospace Technolo C85-12 (piston); 3,140 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 2,005 ft by 135 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,400 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 3:56 pm from OXC, 10 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KOXC 111956Z 14009KT 10SM BKN024 OVC035 17/12 A3021 RMK AO2 SLP242 T01670122 $=
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
2 documents, released by the NTSB on December 18, 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 | Investigative 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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N2812N on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 140 1,839 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,684 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental Aerospace Technolo C85-12 82 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Mount Tobe Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Connecticut 521 since 1982 · 67 in the last ten years
- Connecticut 1,608 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA26LA021.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.