Cessna 177RG Crashes in Gilford, New Hampshire (N52670)

Flight and Crash Sequence On June 13, 2009, at approximately 1614 EDT, a Cessna 177RG, registration N52670, crashed while attempting a forced landing in a hotel parking lot in Gilford, New Hampshire. The flight departed Laconia Municipal Airport (LCI) at 1612 with a planned destination of Portland International Jetport (PWM), Maine. The 50-year-old pilot, holding an Airline Transport Pilot certificate, was fatally injured. Witnesses reported the engine started after several attempts and backfired twice. After takeoff, observers noted a lack of engine noise. The aircraft's left wing and horizontal stabilizer struck a tree, followed by a right bank and impact with a second tree near ground level. Fuel and smoke were observed from the wings and engine area.