Cessna 172F accident near Saint Clair, Minnesota, September 22, 1996
On September 22, 1996 at about 4:25 pm local time, a Cessna 172F, registered N5373R, was destroyed in an accident near Saint Clair, Minnesota. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
a loss of power due to the engine's #2 cylinder exhaust valve stuck open, and the pilot's failure to maintain airspeed.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 22, 1996 · about 4:25 pm local time
- Place
- Saint Clair, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172F · all 172Fs on the register
- Registration
- N5373R · no longer on the register · serial 17252906
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A witness first heard the airplane make a backfiring sound. The witness then observed the airplane coming out of the north, heading south toward his house at low altitude. When the airplane was over his house, it turned to the southwest. The witness saw the airplane initiate a 'fast' left turn and then go straight down into a corn field. Another witness said the airplane went over their yard at about 500 to 600 feet above the ground and headed south to southwest rocking its wings slightly. The witness saw the airplane initiate a right turn to the west and said that the engine sound changed from banging to a sputter. The witness said the airplane continued its turn to the north and started come back toward them. A third witness said he saw the airplane go straight down into the corn field. He also said that the airplane 'got about half a turn,' toward the east before it hit. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the engine's #2 cylinder exhaust valve was stuck open.
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: 302 hours in all; 248 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 278 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,454 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 18, 1996; 24 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ACQ Waseca MN at 5:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:16 pm from MKT, 10 miles away
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.
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.