Cessna 172P accident near Saint Helena, California, August 14, 1985
On August 14, 1985 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N5259K, was substantially damaged in an accident near Saint Helena, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 14, 1985 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Saint Helena, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N5259K · no longer on the register · serial 17274034
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING A LOCAL PERSONAL FLT, THE PLT SAID THE 'ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH A SHAKE VIOLENTLY.' WITH NOT ENOUGH POWER TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE, THE PLT ELECTED TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A FIELD, HOWEVER, OVERRAN THE FIELD AFTER TOUCHDOWN AND COLLIDED WITH GROUND OBSTRUCTIONS IN A VINEYARD. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED STUCK INTAKE AND EXHAUST VALVES IN THE NUMBER ONE CYLINDER. IN ADDITION, THE EXHAUST VALVE PUSHROD WAS FOUND SEPARATED IN THE MIDDLE WITH SEVERE BATTERING PEENING NOTED TO THE BROKEN ENDS OF THE PUSHROD.
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: 74 hours in all; 74 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 40 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,449 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, July 22, 1985; 14 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: APC Napa CA at 11:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:45 pm from APC, 23 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Other NTSB records under N5259K 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.