NTSB releases preliminary report into Dartmouth plane crash that killed local couple

The NTSB has released a preliminary report into the October 13th crash of a single engine plane on Route 195 West in Dartmouth that resulted in two fatalities. 

According to Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn, III, Massachusetts State Police received 911 calls at approximately 8:15 a.m. indicating that a small aircraft had crashed on Route 195 West just before the Reed Road exit in Dartmouth.

 Upon arrival, first responders located a fixed wing single engine Socata TBM 700 that had crashed in the woodline of 195 West prior to Reed Road.  Parts of the aircraft were located in the woodline, and the fuselage was located in the median of the highway. The aircraft had taken off from the New Bedford Airport. 

The two occupants of the plane 68-year-old Thomas Perkins and his wife, 66-year-old Agatha Perkins of Middletown, RI, were located with apparent injury in the fuselage and were pronounced deceased on scene. 

One motor vehicle, a silver Hyundai Sonata, was impacted by a portion of the crashed aircraft.  The driver, an adult female, was transported to a local hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. 

The NTSB report noted that the sequence began with the pilot receiving clearance for takeoff on Runway 23. Air traffic control then vectored the aircraft for a left downwind approach to Runway 05, which the pilot acknowledged. Shortly after, the controller issued a low-altitude alert, and the pilot confirmed the altimeter setting (30.04 inHg). An unintelligible transmission followed from the pilot. Witnesses reported the low-flying aircraft striking trees, with the wreckage path oriented along a heading of 285°. Post-impact fire consumed much of the fuselage, wings, and empennage, though the engine remained partially attached via mounts and cables.

Examination revealed:

• Airframe Damage: Both wings separated with leading-edge crush damage; the rudder and elevator detached in-flight; the main cabin door was found open post-crash.
• Propeller: All five composite blades showed varying leading-edge damage, with the hub attached.
• Engine/Fuel: Breached fuel tanks with a strong Jet-A odor; no fuel recovered from remnants, but signs of fuel exhaustion were not immediately evident.
• Weather: Broken ceilings at 900 ft AGL, 8 SM visibility, 13°C temperature/12°C dew point, winds 19 kts gusting 28 kts from 290°—consistent with VFR conditions but challenging for low-level operations.

The aircraft was privately owned and operated as a personal flight. Preliminary data from the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR)—both equipped and recovered—will be analyzed. No immediate evidence of mechanical malfunction, but the investigation (led by FAA/FSDO Boston with NTSB oversight) is ongoing, focusing on pilot actions, weather factors, and possible spatial disorientation. Full factual report expected within 30 days; probable cause determination to follow.

The full report is below.