Cessna 175 accident near Sonora, Texas, March 23, 1985
On March 23, 1985 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Cessna 175, registered N6710E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sonora, Texas (Sonora airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 23, 1985 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Sonora, Texas · Sonora
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 175 · all 175s on the register
- Registration
- N6710E · registry record · serial 56210
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT WAS DESTROYED DURING A FORCED LANDING IN ROUGH TERRAIN, FOLLOWING AN ENG FAILURE IN-FLT. INVESTIGATION REVEALEDTHAT THE NO. 3 CONNECTING ROD FAILED DUE TO OIL STARVATION. THE ROD OIL PASSAGEWAY WAS FOUND CLOGGED WITH SLUDGE AND FINE METAL PARTICLES, AS WERE THE OIL FILTER AND SCREEN. IN ADDITION, SEVERAL BROKEN RINGS AND LEAKING INTAKE MANIFOLD HOSES WERE FOUND. THE ACFT WAS OPERATING ON AUTO GAS AND MARVEL MYSTERY OIL.
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: student
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 95 hours in all; 88 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 48 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,093 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 12, 1984; 60 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental GO-300-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SJT San Angelo TX
- Destination: 07R Bishop TX
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 10 knots, gusting 12
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 10°F (-12°C)
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.
Other NTSB records under N6710E the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 FTW85LA170.