Cessna 177 accident near Machias, Maine, September 27, 1988
On September 27, 1988, a Cessna 177, registered N2839X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Machias, Maine (Machias Valley airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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
- September 27, 1988
- Place
- Machias, Maine · Machias Valley
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177 · all 177s on the register
- Registration
- N2839X · no longer on the register · serial 17700239
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT WAS PRACTICING NIGHT TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS. HE STATED THAT HE HAD SUCCESSFULLY ACCOMPLISHED TWO FULL STOP LANDINGS. AFTER THE THIRD LANDING, HE APPLIED FULL POWER TO EXECUTE A GO-AROUND. THE PILOT SAID THE AIRPLANE PULLED TO THE LEFT SO HE REDUCED THE POWER AND THE AIRPLANE ROLLED INTO A DITCH OFF THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 355 hours in all; 65 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 270 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 927 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 12, 1988; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 7B4
- Destination: 7B4
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 3,000 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.