Minute Man Airfield Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Stow, Massachusetts 01775
Sunday, January 10, 1993 14:00 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THIS WAS THE FIRST FLIGHT OF THE DAY, AND THE AIRPLANE WAS LAST REFUELED AT MINUTE MAN AIRPORT IN NOVEMBER. ACCORDING TO AIRCRAFT RECORDS, THE AIRPLANE WAS INACTIVE FOR TWO MONTHS. THERE WERE NO WITNESSES TO THE PREFLIGHT; HOWEVER, THE AIRCRAFT WAS VIEWED BY TWO OTHER PILOTS TO DEPART FROM RUNWAY 3. AT ABOUT 100 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THE ENGINE SOUNDS WERE INTERMITTENT. THE WITNESSES REPORTED THAT DURING THE CLIMB, BLACK SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE AIRCRAFT EXHAUST. A SECOND WITNESS, WHO SAW THE CRASH, STATED THAT THE PILOT TRIED TO MAKE A LEFT TURN, BUT THE AIRPLANE FELL TO THE GROUND IN A NEAR VERTICAL POSITION. INSPECTION OF THE FUEL SYSTEM REVEALED ABOUT ONE QUARTER OF THE FUEL CONTENTS OF THE FUEL CONTROL VALVE WAS WATER. BOTH FUEL CAPS WERE SECURED TO THEIR RESPECTIVE TANKS, AND WHEN SPRAYED WITH WATER, NO LEAKAGE PAST THE CAPS INTO THE TANKS WAS NOTED. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE DID NOT DISCLOSE EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

AN INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT BY THE PILOT, WHICH ALLOWED WATER CONTAMINATION IN THE FUEL AND SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF ENGINE POWER; AND FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED, WHICH RESULTED IN A STALL.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 1/10/1993
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1400
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City STOW
Event State MASSACHUSETTS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 01775
Event Date Year 1993
Event Date Month 1
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport MINUTE MAN AIRFIELD
Event Location Nearest Airport ID 6B6
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1445 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 1
Weather Observation Facility ID BED
Elevation of weather observation facility 133
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 1
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 8000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 4000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 50
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) -8
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -17
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 50
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 10
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 298
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jan 10 1993 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1500
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 50296
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 1:06PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N52785
NTSB Number BFO93FA018
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 182P
Aircraft Series Identifier 182P
Aircraft Serial Number 18262843
Certified Max Gross Weight 2950
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 4
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Oct 28 1992 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 40
Airframe Hours 2287
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Yes
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name JOHN A CLINTON
Aircraft Owner Street Address 5 BAYBERRY LANE
Aircraft Owner City FRAMINGHAM
Aircraft Owner State MA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 01701
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name JOHN A CLINTON
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 5 BAYBERRY LANE
Operator City FRAMINGHAM
Operator State MA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 01701
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code 6B6
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code 6B6
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:34AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 3
Runway Length 2743
Runway Width 50
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --