Cessna C-170 accident near Kennebunkport, Maine, August 31, 2003
On August 31, 2003 at about 12:50 pm local time, a Cessna C-170, registered N11576, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kennebunkport, Maine (Back Acres 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 obtain the proper touchdown point, which resulted in the abrupt maneuver and subsequent failure of the landing gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 31, 2003 · about 12:50 pm local time
- Place
- Kennebunkport, Maine · Back Acres · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna C-170
- Registration
- N11576 · no longer on the register · serial unk
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had not flown into the airport previously, but he visited the airport the day before the accident. He walked the runway and noted the obstacles located at both ends. The morning of the accident, the pilot flew to the airport, and noted the 4-6 knot wind favored runway 20. During landing, the airplane touched down about half way down the runway. When the pilot realized that he would not be able to stop before reaching the end of the runway, he made a hard left turn. During the turn, the right main landing gear failed. Runway 20 was a 1,000-foot-long and 200-foot-wide turf runway, with 35-foot trees located at both ends. There were also 25-foot power lines located at the end of runway 20. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane or engine, and weather at a nearby airport included calm winds.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all; 40 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-145 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: B19 Biddeford ME
- Destination: ME46 Kennebunkport ME
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 20, 1,000 ft by 200 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.34 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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 N11576 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.