- Location: Plymouth, MA
- Accident Number: CEN26FA257
- Date & Time: July 16, 2026, 07:40 Local
- Registration: N84AJ
- Aircraft: Dakota Cub Super 18
- Injuries: 1 Fatal
- Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal
https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/203409/pdf
https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=N84AJ
On July 16, 2026, about 0740 eastern daylight time, a Dakota Cub Super 18 airplane, N84AJ,
was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Plymouth,
Massachusetts. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane operated under the provisions of
Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
ADS-B data obtained from the FAA and data extracted from the airplane’s Garmin G3X showed
that the airplane departed from Plymouth Municipal Airport (PYM), Plymouth, Massachusetts,
about 0632, and flew south towards Katama Airpark(1B2), Edgartown, Massachusetts, and
then flew back towards PYM, generally staying below 1,000 ft above ground level. The airplane
flew a path similar to a straight-in for runway 33 until it was about 1.4 miles from the departure
end of the runway (see figure 1).
According to preliminary information provided by the Massachusetts State Police,
eyewitnesses by Curlew Pond reported that as the airplane flew over the pond, the engine
started to sputter. The airplane initially continued toward the airport but turned back toward
the water, and then the engine noise went quiet. The airplane glided to the water and then
nosed over inverted (see figure 2).
The airplane was brought to a nearby shore, and turned back to the upright position. After
initial documentation of the airplane, it was transported to the airport for further examination.
Postaccident examination revealed the magneto switch was selected to the BOTH position
and the fuel pump switch was in the ON position. The fuel selector was selected to the left
tank. Neither wing fuel cap was recovered with the airplane. The left fuel tank contained less
than 10 ounces of fuel and the right fuel tank contained less than 4 ounces of fuel; neither fuel
tank was breached. Fuel lines from the fuel tanks to the fuel selector remained secured and
when opened contained fuel. Using a water detection paste, the fuel from the left fuel tank line
contained some water and the fuel in the right fuel tank line did not contain any water. A fuel
sample from the gascolator bowl contained a mixture of fuel and water. It is unknown how
much fuel may have drained out of either tank while the airplane was inverted in the water. The
fuel line from the engine driven fuel pump to the fuel servo was empty of fuel. The fuel servo’s
fuel screen was free of visual contaminants.
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for both airplane single engine land and
airplane single engine sea.
