Cessna 172 accident near Ridge Spring, South Carolina, August 13, 1990
On August 13, 1990 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N66068, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ridge Spring, South Carolina. 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 FAILURE OF THE MAINTENANCE FACILITY/OWNER TO FOLLOW STANDARD PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES. A FACTOR WAS THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO EXTEND THE FLAPS DURING THE FORCED LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 13, 1990 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Ridge Spring, South Carolina
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N66068 · registry record · serial 17275958
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS ESTABLISHED AT CRUISE WHEN HE HEARD A LOUD BANG. SHORTLY AFTERWARD, THE ENGINE QUIT. THE PILOT SELECTED AN OPEN FIELD FOR THE EMERGENCY LANDING. AFTER CLEARING A TREE LINE THE PILOT MADE A NORMAL TOUCHDOWN. DURING THE LANDING ROLL THE NOSE GEAR COLLIDED WITH A DITCH, AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER. THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED. THE ENGINE EXAMINATION FOUND NO.4 EXHAUST VALVE STUCK AND THE PUSH ROD/HOUSING ASSEMBLIES WERE DISPLACED FROM THEIR NORMAL POSITIONS. THE ENGINE WAS 345 HOURS OVER THE SUGGESTED OVERHAUL TIME IN SERVICE WHEN THE VALVE STUCK. THE PILOT ALSO FAILED TO EXTEND THE WING FLAPS DURING THE EMERGENCY PROCEDURE.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane
- Flight time: 1,500 hours in all; 370 in this make and model; 156 in the last 90 days; 61 in the last 30 days; 1,439 as pilot in command; 428 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,345 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 24, 1990; 95 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CAE Columbia SC at 3:00 pm
- Destination: 48J Thomson GA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 79°F (26°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:50 pm from CAE, 30 miles away
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.