Cessna 172K N79588

Summary

On 2 February 1998 at about 14:00 local time, a Cessna 172K registered N79588, operated by Herbert L. Hardy, was involved in an accident near Boxborough, Massachusetts, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

2 February 1998 at 14:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Boxborough, Massachusetts, United States

Nearest airport

Minute Man (6B6)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Cessna 172K

Registration

N79588

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Herbert L. Hardy

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC98FA063

1 person died.

The failure of the pilot to remove the frost on the wings before departure, which resulted in a stall

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

After departure, a witness observed the Cessna 172 at a low altitude with the nose bobbing up and down. Another witness saw the airplane in a left turn and heard a power reduction. The airplane then dove into a wooded area. A post-crash fire consumed the cockpit and wings. The investigation found no evidence of a mechanical failure or malfunction with the engine or airframe. Witnesses reported frost on the wings of airplanes in the area at the time of the accident. Examination of the outside tie down where the airplane had been secured revealed no evidence that the tops of the wings had been examined or de-iced.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.