Cessna 182L accident near Marlborough, Massachusetts, May 16, 1998
On May 16, 1998 at about 5:15 pm local time, a Cessna 182L, registered N42770, was substantially damaged in an accident near Marlborough, Massachusetts (Marlborough 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 improper flare. A related factor was the crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 16, 1998 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- Marlborough, Massachusetts · Marlborough Airport
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182L · all 182Ls on the register
- Registration
- N42770 · registry record · serial 18259184
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot made an approach to a runway which was 1,682 feet long, with the winds from 080 degrees at 9 knots. He said that he was a 'little high' on short final and the airplane 'dropped faster' than he wanted it to. The airplane touched down hard and the pilot aborted the landing and landed at another airport uneventfully. After landing, the pilot took the airplane to a Fix Base Operator on the airport for repairs. The pilot stated that no one was notified of the accident because the extent of the damage was unknown. The repair work was pointed out to a Federal Aviation Administration Inspector who was performing routine surveillance. The Inspector determined that the firewall needed replacement, in addition to numerous other wrinkles found on the fuselage.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,165 hours in all; 800 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 1,165 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,955 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 16, 1998; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PWM Portland ME at 4:30 pm
- Destination: 9B1
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 1,682 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:52 pm from FIT, 17 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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.