Cessna 500 accident near Fitchburg, Massachusetts, February 28, 1984
On February 28, 1984 at about 1:10 pm local time, a Cessna 500, registered N712US, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fitchburg, Massachusetts (Fitchburg airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved. 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
- February 28, 1984 · about 1:10 pm local time
- Place
- Fitchburg, Massachusetts · Fitchburg
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 500 · all 500s on the register
- Registration
- N712US · registry record · serial 500-044
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT LANDED ON A SLUSHY RWY. HE WAS UNABLE TO STOP ON THE RWY AND ANGLED OFF THE END INTO MARSHY GROUND. THE STOPPINGDISTANCE ON A DRY RWY WAS FIGURED AT 2355 FT. ON A SLUSHY RWY THE STOPPING DISTANCE WAS ABOUT 4004 FT. THE LANDING RWY WAS 4500 FT LONG. THE ARPT MANAGER SAW THE ACFT DURING ROLLOUT AND THOUGHT IT SEEMED TO BE GOING FAST WITHOUT APPARENT DECELERATION BEING EFFECTED. THE CREW REPORTED USING VARIOUS BRAKING TECHNIQUES WITH LITTLE DECELERATION EFFECT. THE ACFT REPORTEDLY TOUCHED DOWN ABOUT 450 FT FROM THRESHOLD AND CAME TO REST 200 FT PAST THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RWY.
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, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,371 hours in all; 1,605 in this make and model; 37 in the last 90 days; 3,656 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,700 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 11,850 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT15D-1A (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PNE Philadelphia PA at 12:10 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 14, 4,500 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 25 knots, gusting 40
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
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.