Cessna 172 accident near Fort Scott, Kansas, November 3, 1990
On November 3, 1990 at about 5:00 am local time, a Cessna 172, registered N739VN, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fort Scott, Kansas (Fort Scott airport). It was an instructional 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 MIXTURE CONTROL WAS SET INCORRECTLY RESULTING IN FUEL STARVATION, AND THE CHECK LIST WAS NOT FOLLOWED BY THE CFI/PIC.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 3, 1990 · about 5:00 am local time
- Place
- Fort Scott, Kansas · Fort Scott · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N739VN · registry record · serial 17270842
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING A NIGHT IFR TRAINING FLIGHT, ON FINAL APPROACH THE ENGINE FAILED TO RESPOND WHEN ADDITIONAL, NEEDED THROTTLE WAS ADDED. THE CFI TOOK OVER THE CONTROLS AND TURNED TO AN ADJACENT FIELD, SHORT OF THE RUNWAY, WHERE AN EMERGENCY LANDING WAS ATTEMPTED WHICH RESULTED IN A NOSE OVER. POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE FUEL MIXTURE CONTROL TO BE IN THE OUT, OR IDLE CUTOFF POSITION. NO DEFECTS, MALFUNCTIONS OF FUEL SHORTAGES WERE DISCOVERED, AND ENGINE RUN-UP NORMAL.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 970 hours in all; 230 in this make and model; 220 in the last 90 days; 85 in the last 30 days; 860 as pilot in command; 700 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Mistwood Aviation INC.
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 4,500 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Wind: from 170° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 2:50 am from CNU, 50 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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 N739VN 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.