Cessna 172 accident near Carrabassett, Maine, October 20, 2016
On October 20, 2016 at about 6:20 pm local time, a 1967 Cessna 172, registered N1706F, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Carrabassett, Maine (Sugarloaf Rgnl 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 clearance from trees while maneuvering at a low altitude.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 20, 2016 · about 6:20 pm local time
- Place
- Carrabassett, Maine · Sugarloaf Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 H, built 1967 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N1706F · no longer on the register · serial 17255101
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, after departure, he flew south along a river for about 5 miles. He then turned east toward his destination airport and needed to climb over a mountain ridge. During the climb, the landing gear impacted the top of trees; subsequently, the airplane nosed down and impacted terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with 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
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during enroute defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Climb rate › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 125 hours in all; 125 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 100 as pilot in command; 25 on instruments
- Last flight review: December 18, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,164.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 8, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-300 (piston); 2,165 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: B21 Carrabassett ME at 6:20 pm
- Destination: OLD Old Town ME
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 2,900 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.26 inHg
- Observation at 5:56 pm from KGNR, 35 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.
Other NTSB records under N1706F the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.