Navion A accident near Marlboro, Massachusetts, March 31, 2007
On March 31, 2007 at about 8:20 pm local time, a Navion A, registered N4047K, was substantially damaged in an accident near Marlboro, Massachusetts (Marlboro Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain a proper glidepath to the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 31, 2007 · about 8:20 pm local time
- Place
- Marlboro, Massachusetts · Marlboro Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Navion A
- Registration
- N4047K · registry record · serial NAV-4-1047
- 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 the Navion A encountered little turbulence or crosswind when he entered the airport traffic pattern for landing, and that there were no problems with the handling and performance of the airplane. After completing before-landing checks, and with the airplane aligned on the final leg of the approach for landing, the pilot anticipated "lifting" and "sinking" effects as the airplane crossed two rows of trees prior to the landing threshold. After crossing the first row of trees, the pilot applied power, but the sink rate was greater than he anticipated, and the airplane struck the second row of trees, then impacted the ground.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,548 hours in all; 600 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental E185 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: ASH Nashua NH
- Destination: 9B1 Marlboro MA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 1,659 ft by 45 ft
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.