Piper PA-28RT-201 accident near Newbury, Massachusetts, June 2, 1985
On June 2, 1985 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-28RT-201, registered N291CC, was destroyed in an accident near Newbury, Massachusetts (Plum Island airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 2, 1985 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Newbury, Massachusetts · Plum Island
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28RT-201 PA-28RT-20 · all PA-28RT-201s on the register
- Registration
- N291CC · registry record · serial 28R-7918217
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO A PASSENGER, AFTER A LONG GROUND ROLL, THE ACFT LIFTED OFF AND THE PLT ATTEMPTED TO INCREASE AIRSPEED BY LOWERING THE PITCH ATTITUDE. AS THE ACFT APPROACHED THE END OF THE RWY AND TREES, THE STALL WARNING HORN SOUNDED. THE PLT AGAIN ATTEMPTED TO LEVEL OFF AND INCREASE AIRSPEED. THE ACFT BANKED TO THE RIGHT AND COLLIDED WITH TREES AS THE PLT ATTEMPTED TO LAND ON AN INTERSECTING RWY. A WITNESS ON THE APRT STATED THAT THE ACFT LIFTED OFF; HOWEVER, IT DID NOT APPEAR READY TO FLY AND VISUALLY MUSHED INTO THE AIR. THE ACFT BANKED TO THE RIGHT, CONTACTED SOME TREES AND TUMBLED TO THE GROUND. ONE WITNESS, AN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER, STATED THE WINDS SHIFTED FROM OUT OF THE EAST JUST PRIOR TO THE TAKEOFF AND THE TAKEOFF WAS ATTEMPTED WITH A TAILWIND.
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: 3,850 hours in all; 154 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 2,855 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-C1C6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: BHB Bar Harbor ME
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 2,520 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:30 pm from LWM
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 2 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N291CC the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number NYC85LA139.