Cessna 172 accident near Mansfield, Massachusetts, December 28, 1997
On December 28, 1997 at about 1:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N9604H, was destroyed in an accident near Mansfield, Massachusetts (Mansfield Muni Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to remove snow and ice from the aircraft prior to takeoff resulting in degraded climb performance and a subsequent stall/mush condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 28, 1997 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Mansfield, Massachusetts · Mansfield Muni Airport
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N9604H · no longer on the register · serial 17266258
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was observed to takeoff from runway 32 and climb to about 300 feet above the ground. It was then observed to turn to the left, in a nose down attitude, and disappear behind trees after which it collided with a pole and terrain coming to rest upright in a cleared area. Examination of the wreckage revealed an approximate half-inch coating of ice covering the top of the wings. Both horizontal stabilizers exhibited thin patchy areas of ice along their entire surfaces. Thin patches of ice were also found on the fuselage center section, and the leading edge of the right wing strut. Post-crash examination of the aircraft revealed no evidence of pre-impact mechanical malfunction. Precipitation at the airport between 1445 and 2045 on the day before the accident, was reported as mist, light rain, light rain and snow showers, and ending with light snow. The night before, and the day of the accident, the temperatures were below freezing.
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
- Flight time: 1,000 hours in all; 30 in the last 90 days; 1,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1B9
- Destination: BDR Bridgeport CT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 3,498 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:45 pm from OWD, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.