Cessna 172N accident near Dexter, Maine, June 9, 1992
On June 9, 1992 at about 1:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N19801, was substantially damaged in an accident near Dexter, Maine (Dexter airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A FAILURE OF THE TOP TORQUE LINK BOLT ON THE NOSE LANDING GEAR WHICH RESULTED IN A LANDING WITH A FLAT STRUT AND MISALIGNED WHEEL.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 9, 1992 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Dexter, Maine · Dexter
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N19801 · registry record · serial 17260764
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE VEERED SHARPLY TO THE RIGHT WHEN THE NOSE WHEEL TOUCHED DOWN DURING LANDING ON RUNWAY 34. THE PILOT SAID THAT HE 'TRIED TO CORRECT THIS USING RUDDER AND AILERON BUT COULD NOT. WHEN THE NOSE WHEEL WENT OFF THE RUNWAY IT DUG INTO THE GROUND AND THE PLANE FLIPPED OVER.' THE PILOT REPORTED A SHIMMY IN THE NOSEWHEEL DURING HIS LAST TAKEOFF. THE FAA FOUND NO HYDRAULIC FLUID IN THE STRUT OR ON THE CLEAN, DRY RUNWAY; AND THE NOSE GEAR TOP TORQUE LINK BOLT WAS MISSING.
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: 171.6 hours in all; 80.8 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 5.8 in the last 30 days; 119.1 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,752 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 1991
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Dexter Aero Club
The flight
- Departed from: SLK Saranac Lake NY at 10:45 am
- Destination: 1BO Dexter ME
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 34, 3,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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 N19801 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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 NYC92LA104.