Cessna 182 accident near Kingston, New Hampshire, September 29, 1987
On September 29, 1987 at about 1:40 pm local time, a Cessna 182, registered N7388S, was destroyed in an accident near Kingston, New Hampshire. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. 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
- September 29, 1987 · about 1:40 pm local time
- Place
- Kingston, New Hampshire
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N7388S · registry record · serial 18255836
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING FLIGHT, THE PILOT NOTICED THE ENGINE RPM WAS HIGH. HE WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL THE RPM WITH THE PROP CONTROL. HE REDUCED THE THROTTLE SETTING, BUT SOON THEREAFTER, THE ENGINE BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH WITH A SEVERE VIBRATION. THE PILOT SELECTED A FIELD FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING, BUT WAS UNABLE TO REACH IT. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED AT THE TOP OF AN EMBANKMENT AND WAS EXTENSIVELY DAMAGED. DURING THE INVESTIGATION, FRESH OIL WAS FOUND ON THE EXTERIOR BOTTOM OF THE FUSELAGE FROM THE AREA OF THE FIREWALL TO THE TAIL. THE OIL PRESSURE INDICATOR HOSE WAS FOUND TO HAVE BEEN BROKEN OFF AT THE FIRE WALL (ON THE ENGINE SIDE). ALSO, A LARGE HOLE WAS FOUND IN THE CRANKCASE WHERE THE #2 CONNECTING ROD HAD FAILED.
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
What happened, in order
- LOSS OF ENGINE POWER during cruise
- FORCED LANDING during descent - emergency
- IN FLIGHT COLLISION WITH TERRAIN/WATER during landing - flare/touchdown
Pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land, none, none, none
- Flight time: 2,893 hours in all; 815 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 2,666 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: class 2
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,365 hours
- Last inspection: type not recorded, August 9, 1987; 21 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Departed from: 8B8 Wolfeboro NH at 1:00 pm
- Destination: Unknown
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 10 knots, gusting 10
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°C, dew point 0°C
- Observation at 9:45 am
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N7388S 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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 NYC87LA263.