Cessna 172RG accident near Onego, West Virginia, June 4, 1990
On June 4, 1990 at about 5:05 pm local time, a Cessna 172RG, registered N5117U, was destroyed in an accident near Onego, West Virginia. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
VFR FLIGHT BY THE PILOT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC), AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE CLEARANCE (ALTITUDE) FROM MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. THE TERRAIN AND ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE RELATED FACTORS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 4, 1990 · about 5:05 pm local time
- Place
- Onego, West Virginia
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172RG · all 172RGs on the register
- Registration
- N5117U · no longer on the register · serial 172RG0245
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS ON A VFR FLIGHT, WHEN THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN AT AN ELEVATION OF ABOUT 4300 FEET. ABOUT 21 MILES WEST AT ELKIN, WEST VIRGINIA, ELEVATION 1987 FT, THE 1251 EDT WEATHER WAS IN PART; 2000 FT OVERCAST, VISIBILITY 9 MILES, TEMPERATURE 50 DEGREES, DEW POINT 43 DEGREES, WIND FROM 310 DEGREES AT 10 KTS. WITNESSES IN THE AREA REPORTED THE MOUNTAIN TOPS WERE OBSCURED IN CLOUDS AT THE TIME. THE INVESTIGATION DID NOT DISCLOSE EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION.
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: 108 hours in all; 18 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,120 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 5, 1990; 52 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-F1A6 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Kentucky Airmotive, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: IAD Washington DC at 4:30 pm
- Destination: 013 Mt Sterling KY
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 10 knots
- Sky: overcast; not recorded
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:52 pm from EKN, 21 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.