Cessna 172P accident near Madison, Connecticut, November 25, 1984
On November 25, 1984 at about 5:35 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N89929, was substantially damaged in an accident near Madison, Connecticut (Griswold airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 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
- November 25, 1984 · about 5:35 pm local time
- Place
- Madison, Connecticut · Griswold
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N89929 · no longer on the register · serial 17276017
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
PLT STATED THAT AS HE LOWERED NOSE GEAR TO RUNWAY FOLLOWING INITIAL TOUCHDOWN ON MAINS, ACFT NOSE CONTINUED TO DROP. CONTROL INPUTS WERE NOT EFFECTIVE. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE NOSE GEAR ASS'Y FAILED IN OVERLOAD. BASED ON FUEL REMAINING ON BOARD AND WITNESSES ESTIMATES OF OCCUPANT WEIGHTS, ACFT WAS APRX 250 POUNDS OVER MAX GROSS WEIGHT WITH AN AFT CENTER OF GRAVITY ON LANDING.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 182 hours in all; 11 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 181 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,034 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HPN White Plains NY at 5:00 pm
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 24, 1,863 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.