Cessna 172N accident near Adams, Massachusetts, September 17, 1988
On September 17, 1988 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N6586J, was destroyed in an accident near Adams, Massachusetts. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
PILOT'S INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PLANNING AND IMPROPER INFLIGHT DECISIONS, HE CONTINUED VFR INTO IFR CONDITIONS. THE AIR ROUTE TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTER SERVICE WAS IMPROPER.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 17, 1988 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Adams, Massachusetts
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N6586J · no longer on the register · serial 172-73895
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DRG VFR FLT, N6586J ENCTRD WX, BGN CIRCLING HAY FLD FOR EMERG LNDG & MADE DISTRESS CALL ON EMERG FREQ 121.5 MHZ. N6586J WAS TOO LOW TO CTC ATC FACILITIES, BUT MONARCH FLT 58 (BOEING 757) HEARD THE PLT CALL & OFFERED TO HELP. ALBANY APCH CTLRESPONDED ON SAME FREQ (121.5) & FLT 58 RELAYED INFO TO & FM N6586J. ALBANY CTLR PROVIDED INFO OF 3700' MTN PEAK IN VCNTY, BUT PLT OF FLT 58 DIDN'T RELAY TRRN ELEV TO N6586J, NOR DID THE CTLR NOTE THE ERROR. BOSTON ARTCC ESTAB RADAR CTCWITH N6586J & BGN RELAYING VECTORS, BUT CTLR THOUGHT PLT WAS PROVIDING HIS OWN TRRN SEPN, BECAUSE HE WAS VFR. THUS, THE CTLR ISSUED VECTOR BELOW MIN VECTORING ALT (MVA), WHICH WAS 4000' OR ABV. PLT ENCTRD IMC & RPRTD DSCNDG TO 2500' TO "TRYTO GET OUT OF THE CLOUDS." SUBSEQUENTLY, ACFT CRASHED ON MT FITCH. ATC HANDBOOK ALLOWED VECTORING OF VFR ACFT BELOW MVAWITH NO WARNING OF TRRN. ATC CTLRS DID NOT ADHERE TO EMERG PROCEDURES IN HANDBOOK. THE INVOLVED SUPVRS TOOK NO ACTION TOCORRECT THE SITUATION. INVOLVED CTLRS LACKED TRNG IN HANDLING EMERGENCIES CONCERNING VFR PLTS THAT ENCTR WX BELOW MVA.
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: 68 hours in all; 55 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 18 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,012 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 5, 1988; 957 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: WST Westerly RI at 10:00 pm
- Destination: 5B5 Bennington VT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 20 knots, gusting 30
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 138°F (59°C), dew point 127°F (53°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:50 pm from 5B5, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.