Cessna 180 accident near Red Bluff, California, February 15, 1990
On February 15, 1990 at about 6:15 pm local time, a Cessna 180, registered N9164T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Red Bluff, California (Red Bluff airport). 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING AN ATTEMPTED GO-AROUND AFTER HE SWERVED OFF THE RUNWAY AFTER LANDING WITH A CROSSWIND COMPONENT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 15, 1990 · about 6:15 pm local time
- Place
- Red Bluff, California · Red Bluff · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N9164T · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT LANDED IN A SIX KNOT CROSSWIND AND BEGAN TO SWERVE OFF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO GO-AROUND, LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL, AND COLLIDED WITH A DIRT BANK LOCATED OFF THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL DIFFICULTIES.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RDM Redmond OR at 4:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 6,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 85 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 14,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
Other NTSB records under N9164T 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.