Cessna 172P accident near Plainville, Connecticut, July 18, 1986
On July 18, 1986 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N65612, was destroyed in an accident near Plainville, Connecticut (Robertson airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 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
- July 18, 1986 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Plainville, Connecticut · Robertson
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N65612 · no longer on the register · serial 17275784
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHEN THE PLT CHECKED THE AIRSPEED INDICATOR ON TAKEOFF, HE SAW NO INDICATION OF SPEED & ABORTED THE TAKEOFF, BUT WAS UNABLE TO STOP ON THE REMAINING RWY. THE ACFT CONTD OFF THE DEPARTURE END, WHEN DOWN AN EMBANKMENT & BECAME INVERTED. AN EXAM REVEALED THE LACK OF AIRSPEED INDICATION WAS DUE TO A BLOCKAGE IN THE PITOT TUBE. THE BLOCKAGE HAD THE APPEARANCE OF A SUBSTANCE DEPOSITED BY MUD WASPS.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 294 hours in all; 22 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 207 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: N48 Plainville CT at 9:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 2, 3,116 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Other NTSB records under N65612 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.