Cessna 172P accident near Augusta, Maine, February 2, 1991
On February 2, 1991 at about 9:20 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N62746, was destroyed in an accident near Augusta, Maine (Augusta State airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT ROTATED THE AIRPLANE AT AN IMPROPER SPEED, THEN ALLOWED THE CLIMB ANGLE TO BECOME TOO STEEP, CAUSING AN INADVERTENT STALL AT TOO LOW AN ALTITUDE TO ALLOW RECOVERY. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE; THE PILOT FAILED TO USE ALL OF THE AVAILABLE RUNWAY; AND THE PILOT'S LOW TIME AND TOTAL LACK OF FLIGHT EXPERIENCE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 2, 1991 · about 9:20 pm local time
- Place
- Augusta, Maine · Augusta State
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N62746 · no longer on the register · serial 17275332
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WITNESSES SAW THE AIRPLANE LAND AND THEN SLOW TO TAXI SPEED. AT AN INTERSECTING RUNWAY WITH APPROXIMATELY 400 FEET OF RUNWAY REMAINING THE PILOT ELECTED TO TAKEOFF. WITNESS SAW THE AIRPLANE TAKEOFF AT A SLOW SPEED, AND CLIMB AT A STEEP ANGLE. A WITNESS SAID, '... THE PLANE IMMEDIATELY NOSED OVER AND FELL TO THE GROUND...' AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT THE PILOT HAD A TOTAL OF 130 FLIGHT HOURS.
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: 130.1 hours in all; 12.8 in this make and model; 5.9 in the last 90 days; 5.9 in the last 30 days; 71.8 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,854 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 31, 1989
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PWM Portland ME at 8:46 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 2,703 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 18 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; scat at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:24 pm from AUG
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| 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.