Cessna 172G accident near New Bedford, Massachusetts, April 9, 1991
On April 9, 1991 at about 5:08 pm local time, a Cessna 172G, registered N6005R, was destroyed in an accident near New Bedford, Massachusetts. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION AND FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALTITUDE AFTER ENCOUNTERING ADVERSE WEATHER AT LOW ALTITUDE. THE ADVERSE WEATHER (FOG) WAS A RELATED FACTOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 9, 1991 · about 5:08 pm local time
- Place
- New Bedford, Massachusetts
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172G · all 172Gs on the register
- Registration
- N6005R · registry record · serial 17253674
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
TWO ACFT DEPD NEW BEDFORD ON FLTS TO MARTHA'S VINYARD, MA. THE PLT OF ONE ACFT DIVERTED TO ANOTHER ARPT DUE TO DETERIORATING WX AT THE DESTN. THE 2ND ACFT DID NOT ARRIVE & WAS FOUND LATER WHERE IT HAD CRASHED IN NEW BEDFORD HARBOR. A WITNESS IN A FISHING BOAT SAID HE HAD SEEN AN ACFT FLYING AT LOW ALT (APRX 100 FT) TOWARD THE HARBOR. SCATTERED FOG WAS RPRTD IN THE BAY AREA. THERE WERE INDICATIONS THE ACFT HAD IMPACTED IN A RIGHT WING LOW ATTITUDE, FATALLY INJURING THE OCCUPANTS; HOWEVER, THE ACTUAL IMPACT WAS NOT OBSERVED. NO BREIMPACT MECHANICAL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE ACFT WAS FOUND.
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: 991 hours in all; 30 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 983 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,686 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 3, 1990; 61 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EWB New Bedford MA at 5:03 pm
- Destination: MVY Martha Vineyard MA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 10 knots
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:45 pm from EWB, 6 miles away
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.