Cessna 305A accident near Lawrence, Massachusetts, September 3, 2004
On September 3, 2004 at about 6:15 pm local time, a Cessna 305A, registered N5208G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lawrence, Massachusetts (Lawrence Muni airport). It was an other work-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadvertent pickup of a banner towline with the airplanes main landing gear after encountering gusting wind conditions. A factor related to the accident was the gusting wind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 3, 2004 · about 6:15 pm local time
- Place
- Lawrence, Massachusetts · Lawrence Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 305A · all 305As on the register
- Registration
- N5208G · registry record · serial 21936
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
As the pilot initiated the banner pick up, moderate turbulence was encountered, and the airplane began to descend. The turbulence encounter lasted momentarily, and all of the pilot's visual cues indicated that the banner towline was picked up normally. As the airplane was climbing out, the pilot felt the airplane swerve to the right, and observed that the banner towline was hooked around the right main landing gear assembly. Realizing that the airplane was subjected to increased drag, the pilot lowered the nose, and performed a forced landing to a grass field. As the airplane neared the ground, the banner touched down first, and induced more drag on the airplane. The pilot added additional power to compensate; however, the airplane touched down hard, and continued down an embankment, where it came to rest inverted. The winds reported at the airport, about the time of the accident, were from 270 degrees at 11 knots, gusting to 16 knots.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 4,180 hours in all; 2,070 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: June 30, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,554 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 30, 2004; 90 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,100 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LWM Lawrence MA at 2:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 11 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.19 inHg
- Observation at 5:54 pm from LWM
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 N5208G the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number NYC04CA202.