Cessna 172 accident near Wiscasset, Maine, December 26, 1988
On December 26, 1988 at about 7:50 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N3736S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wiscasset, Maine (Wiscasset 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
- December 26, 1988 · about 7:50 pm local time
- Place
- Wiscasset, Maine · Wiscasset
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N3736S · no longer on the register · serial 17250936
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT LOST CONTROL DURING AN ATTEMPTED GO-AROUND, AND COLLIDED WITH TREES OFF THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT SAID THAT A GUST OF WIND TURNED THE ACFT 45 DEGREES TO THE RUNWAY ON LANDING ROLL, AND DURING THE ATTEMPTED GO-AROUND HE HIT TREE TOPS OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND CRASHED.
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: 270 hours in all; 223 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PTD Potsdam NY at 5:30 pm
- Destination: 9B9 Wiscasset ME
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 25, 3,400 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 20 knots
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°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.
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.