Cessna 170A accident near Leominster, Massachusetts, February 11, 1999
On February 11, 1999 at about 7:15 pm local time, a Cessna 170A, registered N1460D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Leominster, Massachusetts (Fitchburg Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain the proper altitude during the approach.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 11, 1999 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- Leominster, Massachusetts · Fitchburg Muni
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170A · all 170As on the register
- Registration
- N1460D · no longer on the register · serial 20043
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was on approach to the runway. A witness observed the airplane below the tree tops. He further stated 'the engine started revving as if [the pilot] had gunned it.... It looked like he was trying to get over [the trees] but at the same time or maybe two seconds later his left wing hit one of the tree's. The plane was pulled to the left bouncing around in the trees, one tree kind of kicked the tail of the plane up sending it into a nose dive straight down....' The airplane struck the tops of about 75 foot tall trees, about 1/2 mile from the runway, and then came to rest in a residential backyard. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any pre-impact malfunctions of the airframe or engine. The 80 year old pilot had logged about 1,660 hours of total flight experience, with 28.5 and 11.5 hours of flight experience in 1997 and 1998, respectively. The airplane's tachometer had accumulated 5.4 hours since it's last annual inspection, which was performed about 5 months prior to 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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,660 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,353 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 7, 1998; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-145-2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FIT Fitchburg MA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 3,502 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 10°F (-12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:52 pm from FIT
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.