Cessna 170 accident near Johnson City, Tennessee, April 22, 1990
On April 22, 1990 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Cessna 170, registered N3980V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Johnson City, Tennessee (Johnson City airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT/MECHANIC'S INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT FUEL SYSTEM.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 22, 1990 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Johnson City, Tennessee · Johnson City · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170 · all 170s on the register
- Registration
- N3980V · registry record · serial 18299
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ENGINE QUIT AFTER TAKE OFF & A FORCED LANDING WAS MADE IN A FIELD. ONE MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED DURING LANDING ROLL ON THE ROUGH GROUND. OWNER OF THE ACFT WAS A COMM. PILOT/A&P/IA. HE SAID WATER WAS FOUND IN THE CARBURETOR AFTER THE ACCIDENT. HE ALSO SAID THE ACFT HAD SAT ABOUT 90 DAYS AFTER FUEL HAD BEEN PLACED IN THE TANKS. ON THE GROUND THE LOW POINT OF THE TANKS WOULD PREVENT WATER MIGRATING TO THE FUEL STRAINER. THREADED DRAIN PLUGS ARE IN THE TANKS WHICH THE PILOT INDICATED THAT HE DID NOT REMOVE BEFORE THE FLIGHT WAS ATTEMPTED.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,300 hours in all; 75 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,050 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 4, 3,000 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.