Cessna 172P accident near Bingham, Maine, October 1, 1989
On October 1, 1989 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N89219, was destroyed in an accident near Bingham, Maine (Gadabout-Gaddis airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured and 4 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PLANNING TO ASSURE THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS CAPABLE OF OUTCLIMBING THE SURROUNDING TERRAIN UNDER THE EXISTING WIND AND AIRPLANE WEIGHT CONDITIONS, RESULTING IN AN INTENTIONAL STALL INTO THE TERRAIN. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR(S) WAS: THE TERRAIN AND WIND CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 1, 1989 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Bingham, Maine · Gadabout-Gaddis
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured and 4 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N89219 · no longer on the register · serial 17276000
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE WAS ON A LOCAL SIGHTSEEING FLT WITH THE PLT, 2 ADULT PAX & 3 CHILDREN AGES 5 THRU 11. AFTER MAKING A LEFT TURNOUT AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PLT REALIZED HE COULD NOT OUTCLIMB THE TERRAIN, SO HE SHUT EVERYTHING OFF AND STALLED INTO THE TREES. WHEN THE PILOT MADE HIS LEFT TURNOUT, THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATING ON THE DOWNWIND SIDE OF A RIDGE WITH 10-15 KT WINDS. THE AIRPLANE'S WEIGHT & BALANCE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 460 hours in all; 375 in this make and model; 135 in the last 90 days; 47 in the last 30 days; 330 as pilot in command; 76 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,895 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, June 21, 1989
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 10 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 3 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N89219 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.