Cessna 172 accident near Industry, California, May 6, 1989
On May 6, 1989 at about 9:46 am local time, a Cessna 172, registered N6129E, was destroyed in an accident near Industry, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN AN ADEQUATE ALTITUDE TO ENSURE OBSTRUCTION CLEARANCE. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARKNESS, LOW CEILING, FOG, AND THE PILOT'S CONTINUED FLIGHT INTO ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 6, 1989 · about 9:46 am local time
- Place
- Industry, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N6129E · no longer on the register · serial 46229
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A CESSNA 172 COLLIDED WITH THE STATIC ARM OF A 150 FOOT TALL TOWER USED TO SUPPORT POWER TRANSMISSION CABLES. NIGHT INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SEEN TRAVELING WESTBOUND PARALLELING A HWY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED MAKING A 180 DEGREE TURN AND DESCENDING. THE WEATHER WAS DESCRIBED AS FOGGY WITH AT LEAST 1 MILE VISIBILITY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS REPORTED TO TURN LEFT ABRUPTLY AS IT STRUCK THE TOWER. THE CABLES AND SUPPORT TOWERS WERE DEPICTED ON THE SECTIONAL AERONAUTICAL CHART AND THE VFR TERMINAL AREA CHART.
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: 254 hours in all; 19 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,994 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 21, 1989; 19 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,075 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: P06 Bullhead City AZ at 7:30 am
- Destination: FUL Fullerton CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.