NTSB NYC83FA260 — 1983-09-30 · LIVERMORE FALLS, Maine, United States

Aircraft involved

N2429D Cessna 170B Fatal

Factual narrative

THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH TREES DURING A GO-AROUND AT NIGHT IN A GROUND FOG. THE PLT HAD CALLED HIS WIFE AND DISCUSSED THE WEATHER. HE DECIDED ON AN ALTERNATE ARPT IF THE WEATHER CREATED PROBLEMS. HE HAD FLOWN INTO BOWMAN FIELD MANY TIMES AT NIGHT AND KNEW THE FIELD WELL. IN THE ARPT GUIDE, IN REMARKS, IT STATES: NO NIGHT OPERATIONS EXCEPT IN AN EMERGENCY. IT ALSO STATES RWY 02: TREE, RWY 20: TREE. THE BEACON LIGHTS ATOP THE HANGER CAME ON AT 2230. AT 2235 AN APPROACHING ACFT WAS HEARD. THE ACFT APPROACHED FROM THE NORTH AND THE POWER WAS HEARD TO INCREASE AS THE ACFT PASSED OVER THE TREES. POWER WAS REDUCED AND THEN THERE WAS A SUDDEN BURST OF POWER FOLLOWED BY THE SOUNDS OF TREE CONTACT BEFORE A CRASH. A WITNESS SAW THE ACFT DESCEND INTO THE FOG AND CLIMB BACK OUT BEFORE THE CONTACT WITH TREES. THE WEATHER WAS CLEAR OF CLOUDS, GOOD VISIBILITY, WIND CALM, GROUND FOG ABOUT 5 TO 15 FT AGL IN PATCHES. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1983_NYC83FA260.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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