Cessna 120 accident near Orange, Massachusetts, February 24, 2017
On February 24, 2017 at about 8:20 pm local time, a 1946 Cessna 120, registered N77116, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Orange, Massachusetts (Orange Muni 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 selection of unsuitable terrain for landing, which resulted in a nose-over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 24, 2017 · about 8:20 pm local time
- Place
- Orange, Massachusetts · Orange Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 120 NO SERIES, built 1946 · all 120s on the register
- Registration
- N77116 · registry record · serial 11574
- 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 tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, while attempting to land on the "grass portion of the runway" parallel to the paved runway, the ground was soft. Subsequently, the main wheels sunk into the ground, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to its right-wing lift strut and vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions 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
- Loss of control on ground during landing defining event
- Nose over/nose down during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Wheel/ski/float › Capability exceeded
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Wet/muddy terrain › Decision related to condition
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Soft surface › Decision related to condition
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Wet/muddy terrain › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Soft surface › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,700 hours in all; 140 in this make and model; 1,700 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 21, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,466 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 1,451 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-200-A (piston); 2,078 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 0B5 Montague MA at 7:30 pm
- Destination: ORE Orange MA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 19, 4,999 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 10 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.82 inHg
- Observation at 7:52 pm from KORE
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on March 28, 2017. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photo (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | 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.