Cessna 172N accident near Bar Harbor, Maine, March 30, 1991
On March 30, 1991 at about 10:38 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N2899E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bar Harbor, Maine (Bar Harbor airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE ENGINE LOST POWER FOR AN UNDETERMINED REASON.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 30, 1991 · about 10:38 pm local time
- Place
- Bar Harbor, Maine · Bar Harbor
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N2899E · no longer on the register · serial 17271367
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS APPROACHING HIS DESTINATION AND DESCENDING WHEN THE ENGINE LOST POWER. HE APPLIED FULL THROTTLE WITH NO CHANGE. HE THEN ADDED CARBURETOR HEAT AND POWER WAS RESTORED FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE MINUTE, THEN POWER WAS LOST AGAIN. A DITCHING WAS MADE IN THE HARBOR. THE PILOT WAS NOT WEARING A SHOULDER HARNESS, BUT HE AND THE PASSENGER GOT OUT OF THE AIRPLANE AND CLUNG TO IT UNTIL THEY WERE RESCUED ABOUT 45 MIN LATER. NO REASON WAS FOUND FOR THE LOSS OF POWER.
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: 2,519 hours in all; 26 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 2,429 as pilot in command; 70 on instruments
- 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 O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Frenchmen'S Bay Flying Club
The flight
- Departed from: BLM Bellmar NJ at 7:10 pm
- Destination: BHB Bar Harbor ME
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- 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.