Cessna 172N accident near Jeffersonville, Indiana, May 22, 1990
On May 22, 1990 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N733CR, was substantially damaged in an accident near Jeffersonville, Indiana (Clark County airport). 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 ENGINE STARTED FOR AN UNDETERMINED REASON, WHEN THE PROP WAS MOVED AFTER THE PILOT EXPERIENCED AN INOPERATIVE STARTER. (MOST PROBABLY, THERE WAS EITHER AN ISOLATED/INTERMITTENT PROBLEM IN THE IGNITION SYSTEM OR THE PILOT DID NOT MOVE THE MAGNETO SWITCH ALL THE WAY TO THE OFF POSITION BEFORE MOVING THE PROPELLER.)
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 22, 1990 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Jeffersonville, Indiana · Clark County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N733CR · registry record · serial 17268195
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT THOUGHT THE PROP WAS STUCK, WHEN THE ENGINE DID NOT START WITH THE BATTERY DRIVEN STARTER. HE SAID HE TURNED THE MASTER SWITCH OFF, TURNED THE KEY TO THE OFF POSITION AND PULLED THE MIXTURE & THROTTLE LEVERS ALL THE WAY OUT. HE THEN EXITED THE ACFT TO UNSTICK THE PROP BY A SLIGHT MOVEMENT. HOWEVER, WHEN HE MOVED THE PROP, THE ENG STARTED & THE ACFT MOVED INTO A PARKED AERO COMMANDER. SUBSEQUENT INSPN OF THE MAGNETO SWITCH & MAGNETOS REVEALED NO IRREGULARITIES.
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: 141 hours in all; 36 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 93 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,754 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 15, 1990; 89 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: JVY Jeffersonville IN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:48 pm from BMG, 62 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.