Cessna L-19 accident near Franconia, New Hampshire, July 9, 1991
On July 9, 1991 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Cessna L-19, registered N5237G, was destroyed in an accident near Franconia, New Hampshire. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED, WHICH RESULTED IN A STALL/SPIN AND IN FLIGHT COLLISION WITH TREES. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE IMPROPER IN-FLIGHT PLANNING BY THE PILOT AND THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO COMPENSATE FOR WINDS AND DOWNDRAFT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 9, 1991 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Franconia, New Hampshire
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna L-19 · all L-19s on the register
- Registration
- N5237G · registry record · serial 22770
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT RELEASED THE GLIDER ABOUT 1000 FEET ABOVE THE TERRAIN. HE STARTED A DESCENDING TURN AWAY FROM THE GLIDER AND TOWARDS THE RIDGE. THE PILOT SAID, 'I STARTED TO PULL BACK ON THE CONTROLS WITH NO RESPONSE. I PULLED HARD AND WENT INTO A SPIN...[I] PULLED OUT IN TIME AND HIT THE TOPS OF THE TREES...'
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 346 hours in all; 21 in this make and model; 140 in the last 90 days; 300 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, January 2, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 2,100 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-1182 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 40 knots
- Visibility: 99 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N5237G 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.