Cessna 172 accident near Stow, Massachusetts, September 19, 1998
On September 19, 1998 at about 7:19 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N1729V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Stow, Massachusetts (Minute Man Air Field). 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing. Contributing factors were the pilot's lack of a single engine experience/certification. Also a factor was the flying club's inadequate oversight of pilot qualifications.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 19, 1998 · about 7:19 pm local time
- Place
- Stow, Massachusetts · Minute Man Air Field
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N1729V · no longer on the register · serial 17263728
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
At his destination airport the pilot was unable to reach anyone by radio or verify the winds visually, so he made left traffic for Runway 3. When the pilot flared the airplane it floated down the runway. The pilot then bounced the airplane three times. After the third bounce he drove the airplane hard onto the runway and applied maximum braking. Unable to stop, the airplane then departed the departure end of the runway, shearing the nose gear and ultimately nosing over. The pilot had over 25,000 hours of flight experience, but only 25 hours in small general aviation airplanes. He also did not have a single engine land rating nor was he operating the airplane as a student pilot. When the pilot approached the flying club to become a member no one from the club asked him if he had an airplane single engine land rating because of his airline pilot back ground. It was just assumed. The club did require the pilot to take a proficiency ride before he was allowed to rent from them. The pilot estimated the winds to be from 210 degrees magnetic at 10 knots at the time of the accident.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 25,000 hours in all; 5 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 11,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OXC Oxford CT at 6:00 pm
- Destination: 6B6
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 3, 2,770 ft by 48 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:56 pm from BOS, 27 miles away
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.
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.