Cessna 172 accident near Hillsboro, Oregon, March 12, 2017
On March 12, 2017 at about 9:50 pm local time, a 1975 Cessna 172, registered N5440H, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Hillsboro, Oregon (Stark'S Twin Oaks Airpark airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll in quartering tailwind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 12, 2017 · about 9:50 pm local time
- Place
- Hillsboro, Oregon · Stark'S Twin Oaks Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 M, built 1975 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N5440H · no longer on the register · serial 17265438
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, during the landing roll with a "light quartering tailwind," the airplane veered off the runway to the left into soft mud and nosed over. The vertical stabilizer and rudder sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The nearest automated weather observation station, located 7 nautical miles from the accident airport, about the time of the accident, recorded variable wind at 5 knots. The pilot reported that he landed on runway 2.
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
What happened, in order
- Other weather encounter during landing (landing roll)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Wet/muddy terrain › Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Response/compensation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 85 hours in all; 13 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 6.3 in the last 30 days; 16 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 12, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 15,902 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 9, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2G (piston); 33 hours total
- Operator: Twin Oaks Airpark INC
The flight
- Departed from: 7S3 Hillsboro OR at 9:15 pm
- Destination: 7S3 Hillsboro OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 2, 2,480 ft by 48 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.25 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from KHIO, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on May 10, 2017. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photos (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N5440H the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.