Cessna 172P accident near Cabin, West Virginia, September 5, 1987
On September 5, 1987 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N65721, was destroyed in an accident near Cabin, West Virginia. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed and 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 5, 1987 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Cabin, West Virginia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed and 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N65721 · no longer on the register · serial 172-75834
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT WAS ON A VFR FLIGHT AT 4500 FT MSL OVER A MOUNTAINOUS AREA WHEN HE ENCOUNTERED LOWERING CLOUDS. THE PLT DESCENDED TO STAY BELOW THE CLOUDS; HOWEVER, HE INADVERTENTLY ENTERED THE CLOUDS. AFTERWARDS HE TRIED TO TURN AROUND AND AS HE DID SO, ACCORDING TO ONE OF THE SURVIVORS WHO WAS THE PLTS WIFE, TREES APPEARED INTO VIEW FOLLOWED BY A TREE STRIKE. THE ACFT CAME TO REST NEAR THE TOP OF A MOUNTAIN AT ABOUT 3500 FT. THE ELT ACTIVATED. SEARCH AND RESCUE PERSONNEL REACHED THE ACCIDENT SITE ABOUT 23 HRS LATER.
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: 188 hours in all; 8 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,479 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 24, 1987; 89 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: THV York PA at 2:45 pm
- Destination: EKN Elkin WV
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 4,100 ft; scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Observation at 6:50 pm from EKN, 28 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 2 |
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.