Cessna 172 accident near Pownal, Maine, August 25, 1984
On August 25, 1984 at about 11:45 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N5091A, was destroyed in an accident near Pownal, Maine (Pownal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 25, 1984 · about 11:45 pm local time
- Place
- Pownal, Maine · Pownal
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N5091A · no longer on the register · serial 28091
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, WITNESSES OBSERVED THE ACFT MAKING SEVERAL LOW PASSES & MANEUVERING. DURING THE LAST MANEUVER, THE ACFT ENTERED A DIVE & COLLIDED WITH TREES BEFORE THE PLT RECOVERED. TREES WERE BROKEN OR DAMAGED OVER AN AREA OF ABOUT 200 FT. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND. THE CABIN AREA WAS NOT DEFORMED TO PRECLUDE SURVIVAL & THE PILOT REMAINED SECURED BY HIS SEATBELT; HOWEVER, NO SHOULDER HARNESS WAS AVAILABLE IN THE ACFT. A CHECK OF THE PLT'S BLOOD SHOWED AN ALCOHOL LEVEL OF 0.197%
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; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,207 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 1983
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 8:30 pm
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.