Cessna 172P accident near Fort Wayne, Indiana, October 16, 1990
On October 16, 1990 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N5499K, was destroyed in an accident near Fort Wayne, Indiana (Smith Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN AN AIRSPEED ABOVE STALLING SPEED. FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ACCIDENT ARE PREMATURE ROTATION AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF RECENT TOTAL EXPERIENCE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 16, 1990 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Wayne, Indiana · Smith Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N5499K · no longer on the register · serial 17274164
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED CLIMBING IN A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE BEFORE PITCHING OVER AND DESCENDING, LEFT WING LOW, INTO THE GROUND DURING INITIAL CLIMB AFTER TAKEOFF. RECORDS SHOW THE PILOT'S TOTAL AVIATION EXPERINCE TO BE 69 FLIGHT HOURS. HIS FLIGHT EXPERIENCE IN THE 90 DAYS PRECEDING THE ACCIDENT WAS .3 OF AN HOUR OBTAINED THE DAY BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. NO MECHANICAL DEFECTS WERE DISCOVERED IN EITHER THE AIRFRAME OR POWERPLANT. EVIDENCE SHOWS THAT THE TAIL TIE DOWN RING DRAGGED AS THE AIRPLANE TRACKED OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY BEFORE LIFTING OFF.
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: 69 hours in all; 3 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,816 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, September 11, 1990; 73 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Bowman Aviation, INC
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 5, 3,110 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 9 knots
- Sky: scat at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:18 pm from FWA, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Other NTSB records under N5499K the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.