Cessna 172S accident near Hominy, Oklahoma, November 5, 2006
On November 5, 2006 at about 7:24 am local time, a Cessna 172S, registered N53443, was destroyed in an accident near Hominy, Oklahoma. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed and 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's continued cruise flight into adverse weather conditions, and his failure to maintain clearance from terrain. Contributing factors were the dark night conditions, and the low ceilings.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 5, 2006 · about 7:24 am local time
- Place
- Hominy, Oklahoma · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed and 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N53443 · no longer on the register · serial 172S9370
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Dark night instrument conditions prevailed throughout the area when the non-instrument rated private pilot elected to initiate the 114-nautical mile cross-country flight to his home station. There were no witnesses to the accident. The moon illumination on the night of the accident was reported as full moon; however, there was an overcast sky, and visibility was reduced due to rain and the cloud layer. Additionally, the unpopulated terrain over the route of flight provided little illumination for ground references. Search and rescue operations were hampered due to IFR conditions in the area, and the wreckage was not located for 4 hours and 29 minutes following the accident. The investigation revealed that the pilot had accumulated a total of 4.1 hours of night time, and 4.0 hours of simulated instrument time. The single-engine airplane impacted the ground on a heading of 240-degrees, coming to rest in inverted, 501-feet from the initial impact point. Ground scars, and damage sustained by the airframe, were consistent with the airplane impacting the ground in the cruise configuration in a near level flight attitude. The flaps were found in the fully retracted position. No anomalies were found with the airframe or the engine that could have prevented normal flight operations. Flight and engine control continuity was established at the accident site.
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: 61 hours in all; 61 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 16 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,374 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, October 1, 2006; 41 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,558 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KTUL Tulsa OK at 7:10 am
- Destination: KICT Wichita KS
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 120° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,600 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 am from KTUL, 23 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.
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.