Cessna 170 N3576D

Summary

On 1 September 2025 at about 17:30 local time, a Cessna 170 registered N3576D was involved in an accident near Eustis, Maine, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

1 September 2025 at 17:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Eustis, Maine, United States

Coordinates

45.2089, -70.3773

Aircraft

Cessna 170

Registration

N3576D

Category

Airplane

Year built

1956

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Fayette

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA25LA347

2 people had minor injuries.

The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane during takeoff, which resulted in an inadvertent descent, contact with the water, and a subsequent nose over.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of the seaplane was departing from calm, glassy lake. During the takeoff, he leveled the airplane about 15 ft above the water in order to gain airspeed. The pilot then reached down to retract the airplane’s flaps and likely inadvertently applied forward pressure on the elevator control. The airplane then contacted the water and nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane’s fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.