Cessna R172K accident near Cantebury, New Hampshire, July 17, 1987
On July 17, 1987 at about 1:35 am local time, a Cessna R172K, registered N4673K, was destroyed in an accident near Cantebury, New Hampshire. 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
- July 17, 1987 · about 1:35 am local time
- Place
- Cantebury, New Hampshire
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna R172K · all R172Ks on the register
- Registration
- N4673K · no longer on the register · serial R1722007
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A LOCAL CFI HEARD THE PLT TRANSMIT OVER THE UNICOM FREQ THAT HE WAS 'NORTH OF THE AIRPORT AT 1100 FT & OUT OF GAS, SO I GUESS I'M GOING TO CRASH.' ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT THE PLT WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. THE CFI FLEW NORTH OF THE AIRPORT & LOCATED THE PLANE WHERE IT HAD CRASHED IN A WOODED AREA. RECORDS INDICATED THE ACFT HAD FLOWN ABOUT 4.3 HRS SINCE IT WAS LAST REFUELED. NO FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE ACFT DURING A POST-ACDNT EXAM.
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: 844 hours in all; 640 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 805 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 18, 1986; 81 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-360-KB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BED Bedford MA
- Destination: LCI Laconia NH
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 am from CON, 6 miles away
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.