Cessna 172L accident near Greensboro, Alabama, August 4, 1990
On August 4, 1990 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172L, registered N4386Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Greensboro, Alabama (Greensboro Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER AIRSPEED AND ATTAIN THE PROPER TOUCHDOWN POINT DURING THE EMERGENCY LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 4, 1990 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Greensboro, Alabama · Greensboro Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172L · all 172Ls on the register
- Registration
- N4386Q · no longer on the register · serial 17260286
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT WHEN HIS ENGINE BEGAN RUNNING ROUGHLY AND VIBRATING. HE ELECTED TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING AT A NEARBY AIRPORT WHEN HE COULD NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. HE MADE TWO VISUAL APPROACHES TO THE LANDING RUNWAY, BUT WAS UNABLE TO LAND THE AIRPLANE. HE STATED THAT HE WAS 'TOO HIGH AND TOO FAST' ON BOTH APPROACH ATTEMPTS. ON THE THIRD ATTEMPT, HE LANDED 300 METERS PAST THE DEPARTURE END OF THE LANDING RUNWAY, WHICH IS 3,500 FEET LONG. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH A FENCE AND FLIPPED OVER. HE STATED THAT HE WAS 'SHANKEN UP' BY THE PROBLEM HE WAS HAVING WITH HIS ENGINE. INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE AFTER THE ACCIDENT REVEALED A FAILED NUMBER THREE CYLINDER EXHAUST VALVE.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 67 hours in all; 4 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,611 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 29, 1990; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Southernaire Carrier, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: TUP Tupelo MS at 2:30 pm
- Destination: 0J4 Florala AL
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 18, 3,500 ft by 80 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.