Cessna 170A accident near Ravenswood, West Virginia, March 23, 1989
On March 23, 1989 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Cessna 170A, registered N9187A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ravenswood, West Virginia (Jackson CO. airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOTS DECISION TO LAND WITH A TAILWIND AND INADEQUATELY COMPENSATING FOR THE WIND CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 23, 1989 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Ravenswood, West Virginia · Jackson CO. · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170A · all 170As on the register
- Registration
- N9187A · registry record · serial 18948
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE WINDS WERE FROM THE EAST AND THE AIRPORT UNICOM REPORTED LOCAL TRAFFIC WAS USING RUNWAY 03. THE PILOT SAID THAT HE DECIDED TO USE RUNWAY 21. UPON TOUCHDOWN THE PILOT LOST CONTROL AND THE AIRPLANE GROUNDLOOPED. POST CRASH EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE BY AN FAA INSPECTOR DISCLOSED NO PRECRASH FAILURES OR MALFUNCTIONS.
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: 280 hours in all; 158 in this make and model; 29 in the last 90 days; 19 in the last 30 days; 214 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection; 117 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BMG Bloomington IN at 3:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 3, 4,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number BFO89LA025.