Cessna 172P accident near Sunapee Lake, New Hampshire, February 9, 1990
On February 9, 1990 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N65057, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sunapee Lake, New Hampshire. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE ALTITUDE ABOVE THE LAKE, WHICH RESULTED IN UNPLANNED CONTACT WITH ITS FROZEN SURFACE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 9, 1990 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Sunapee Lake, New Hampshire
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N65057 · registry record · serial 17275677
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS WERE ON A LOCAL FLIGHT WHEN THE PILOT INADVERTENTLY ALLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THE SURFACE OF A FROZEN LAKE. THE AIRCRAFT THEN CARTWHEELED AND WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGEE. THE PILOT AND THREE PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. THE PILOT SAID HE LOST HIS DEPTH PERCEPTION.
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: 230 hours in all; 103 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 230 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CON Concord NH at 5:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 13 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Other NTSB records under N65057 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 NYC90LA069.