Cessna 170A accident near Gallup, New Mexico, February 23, 1990
On February 23, 1990 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Cessna 170A, registered N9130A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Gallup, New Mexico (Gallup airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
IMPROPER OPERATION OF THE ENGINE DURING PREFLIGHT PREPARATION, WHICH RESULTED IN OVERHEATING OF THE ENGINE AND DAMAGE TO INTERNAL COMPONENTS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 23, 1990 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Gallup, New Mexico · Gallup
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170A · all 170As on the register
- Registration
- N9130A · registry record · serial 18889
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRCRAFT HIT A DITCH DURING A FORCED LANDING AFTER THE ENGINE SEIZED DURING INITIAL CLIMB AFTER TAKEOFF. THIS WAS THE FIRST FLIGHT ON A NEWLY REBUILT ENGINE. THE ENGINE HAD BEEN RUN IN ON THE GROUND AND THE PILOT MADE THREE FULL POWER, STATIC RUNS BEFORE TAKEOFF. AN FAA INSPECTOR EXAMINED THE ENGINE AFTER THE ACCIDENT. HE SAID THE SPARK PLUGS FROM CYLINDERS NUMBER 1, 3, & 5 SHOWED EVIDENCE OF HAVING RUN WITH A LEAN MIXTURE. THE NUMBER 3 & 5 CYLINDERS WERE SCUFFED AND METAL FROM THE PISTONS HAD TRANSFERRED TO THE CYLINDER WALLS.
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 single-engine
- Flight time: 18,000 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 17,000 as pilot in command; 16,000 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,475 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 23, 1990
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-145 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GUP at 5:55 pm
- Destination: GUP
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 6, 6,300 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 14°F (-10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:07 pm from GUP
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number DEN90LA064.