Cessna 182 accident near Stow, Massachusetts, September 16, 1996
On September 16, 1996 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Cessna 182, registered N737MD, was substantially damaged in an accident near Stow, Massachusetts (Minute Man airport). It was a personal 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 misjudgment of speed and distance during the landing, and his failure to go around while there was sufficient runway remaining, which resulted in a runway overrun and an encounter with a soft terrain at the edge of a pond. Wet grass on the runway 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
- September 16, 1996 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Stow, Massachusetts · Minute Man
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N737MD · registry record · serial 18261672
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was practicing a short field landing on a 1600 foot long turf runway. He reported that his first approach was high, and he made a go-around. He described the second approach as a little fast and long. He was unable to stop by the end of the runway, and the airplane went off the departure end and into a pond. During the occurrence, the nose landing gear was bent rearward, and the firewall was wrinkled. The pilot also reported that he was not aware that the grass was wet or that he had a tailwind of 2 to 3 mph during touchdown.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all; 400 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,338 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 28, 1995; 169 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ORH Worcester MA at 9:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 1,600 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 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.