Cessna 180H accident near Greenville, New Hampshire, December 28, 2005
On December 28, 2005 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Cessna 180H, registered N2869U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Greenville, New Hampshire. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate pre-flight inspection, which resulted in water-contaminated fuel in the engine and subsequent engine failure.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 28, 2005 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Greenville, New Hampshire · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180H · all 180Hs on the register
- Registration
- N2869U · registry record · serial 180-52216
- 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 he did not sump the fuel tanks during the airplane's preflight inspection, thinking that because the outside temperature had remained below freezing, any water would have been in the form of ice. Shortly after takeoff, about 100 feet, the engine lost power, and the airplane struck trees about 1/4 mile from the end of the runway. The pilot further stated that he thought the cause of the accident was water in the fuel, and that draining the sumps would have prevented the power loss. Post-accident examination of the airplane revealed water in the gascolator.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 24,000 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NH76 Greenville NH
- Destination: NH16 Brookline NH
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.