Cessna 172M accident near Goliad, Texas, January 21, 1990
On January 21, 1990 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N9892Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Goliad, Texas. It was a personal 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 PILOT IN COMMAND'S FAILURE TO IDENTIFY AND CORRECT FOR CARBURETOR ICING CONDITIONS WHICH EXISTED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT AND PRECIPITATED THE PRECAUTIONARY LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 21, 1990 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Goliad, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N9892Q · registry record · serial 17265836
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT, WHO HAD BORROWED THE AIRPLANE REPORTED THAT HE WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT 1,500 FEET MSL, LOOKING AT PROPERTY, WHEN THE ENGINE BACKFIRED AND STARTED TO 'SPUTTER.' SWITCHING TANKS AND APPLYING CARBURETOR HEAT FOR AN UNDETERMINED TIME DID NOT ALLEVIATE THE PROBLEM. THE PILOT ELECTED TO EXECUTE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING ON A RANCH ROAD. DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE RIGHT WING STRUCK A TREE AND VEERED RIGHT, CAUSING THE LEFT WING TO STRIKE THE GROUND. THE OWNER RECOVERED THE AIRPLANE AND STATED THAT THE ENGINE OPERATED NORMALLY THROUGHOUT 2 STARTS, RUN UPS, AND THE SUBSEQUENT TAKEOFF AND FLIGHT. THE TEMPERATURE/DEW POINT CONDITIONS THAT EXISTED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WERE CONDUCIVE TO THE FORMATION OF CARBURETOR ICE AT CRUISE AND GLIDE POWER SETTINGS.
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: 116 hours in all; 73 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 59 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,176 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 2, 1989; 71 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IWS Houston TX at 5:30 pm
- Destination: NONE Goliad TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:51 pm from VCT, 22 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N9892Q 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 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 FTW90LA057.