Cessna 172P accident near Independence, California, June 8, 1987
On June 8, 1987, a Cessna 172P, registered N55186, was destroyed in an accident near Independence, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
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
- June 8, 1987
- Place
- Independence, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N55186 · no longer on the register · serial 17275130
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT WAS RPRTD MISSING AFTER IT DEPARTED SAN JOSE, CA, AT ABOUT 1852 PDT ON 6/9/87. A SEARCH WAS INITIATED, BUT THE PLANE WAS NOT FOUND UNTIL THE WRECKAGE WAS DISCOVERED BY A HIKER ON 6/30/90. THE ACDNT OCCURRED NEAR KEARSARGE PASS AT AN ELEV OF 12,000 FT. WX AT THE ACDNT SITE WAS NOT KNOWN, BUT ABOUT 173 MI WEST AT SAN JOSE, THE 1846 PDT WX WAS IN PART: CLEAR, WIND FROM 290 DEG AT 14 KTS. THE PLT TOOK THE ACFT TWO DAYS AFTER HE HAD AN ARGUMENT WITH A GIRL FRIEND; HOWEVER, THE OPERATOR STATED THAT HE 'HAD PERMISSION TO FLY THE AIRCRAFT AT HIS DISCRETION AFTER (BUSINESS) HOURS.' PIECES OF WRECKAGE WERE LOCATED NEAR THE BASE OF A CLIFF. A DIAGRAM PROVIDED BY THE INYO COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPT INDCD THE ENG CAME TO REST SOME 200 YDS EAST OF THE MAIN WRECKAGE. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT THE ENG WAS PROVIDING POWER TO THE PROP, WHEN THE ACDNT OCCURRED.
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: 208 hours in all; 33 in this make and model; 29 in the last 90 days; 145 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RHV San Jose CA at 1:52 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: not reported
- Wind: from 290° at 14 knots
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 1:46 am from RHV, 173 miles away
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.
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.