Amateur-built PT-17 accident near Fitchburg, Massachusetts, October 15, 1994
On October 15, 1994 at about 3:55 pm local time, a amateur-built PT-17, registered N4923N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fitchburg, Massachusetts (Fitchburg Municipal airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to adequately compensate for the crosswind condition during landing, which resulted in a ground loop and the subsequent wing tip collision with the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 15, 1994 · about 3:55 pm local time
- Place
- Fitchburg, Massachusetts · Fitchburg Municipal
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built PT-17
- Registration
- N4923N · registry record · serial 75-8216
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI), AND THE 26 HOUR STUDENT PILOT/OWNER OF THE AIRPLANE, DEPARTED IN THE AIRPLANE FOR A LOCAL TRAINING FLIGHT. ACCORDING TO THE CFI, 'DURING THE LANDING, TOUCH DOWN WAS APPROXIMATELY ONE THOUSAND FEET FROM THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 32. A SUDDEN GUST OF WIND CAME FROM THE RIGHT; I APPLIED HARD LEFT RUDDER AND BRAKE WITH NO EFFECT, DURING THIS TIME THE LEFT WING TIP STRUCK THE PAVEMENT. THE PLANE LEFT THE RUNWAY ONTO THE TURF; THERE, WITH THE LEFT BRAKE LOCKED, THE LOOP HALTED, BUT THE NOSE SLOWLY TIPPED DOWN.' THE CFI REPORTED 'THE ENTIRE INCIDENT TOOK PLACE AT SLOW SPEED, APPARENTLY TOO SLOW FOR THE FLIGHT CONTROL TO HAVE ANY COUNTERING EFFECT.'
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 19,495 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 16,700 as pilot in command; 8,550 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,144 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 25, 1994; 94 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental W670-6A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3B3 Sterling MA at 4:15 pm
- Destination: FIT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 4,511 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 pm from ORH, 19 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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 N4923N 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.