Cessna 120 N3070N

Summary

On 25 January 2001 at about 21:30 local time, a Cessna 120 registered N3070N was involved in an accident near Trenton, Maine, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

25 January 2001 at 21:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Trenton, Maine, United States

Nearest airport

Bar Harbor Airport (BHB)

Coordinates

44.4494, -68.3614

Aircraft

Cessna 120

Registration

N3070N

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Trenton → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

IAD01LA030

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's improper touchdown in the snow after the airplane became prematurely airborne during an attempted takeoff. A factor was the pilot's inadequate training.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot said the purpose of the flight was to practice takeoffs and landings in the snow. The landing gear was a tailwheel configuration equipped with skis. During the takeoff, the airplane lifted off prematurely after crossing a small berm. The airplane descended back down onto the snow, the left ski submerged under the surface, the left wing tip and the propeller struck the snow, and the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The pilot reported 130 hours of total flight experience, of which, 30 hours were in make and model and 12 hours were on skis. The pilot said he had no formal instruction in ski-equipped airplanes, and that there were no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.