Cessna 172P accident near Mammoth Lakes, California, August 1, 1990
On August 1, 1990 at about 11:05 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N51872, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mammoth Lakes, California (Mammoth Lakes airport). It was a business 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
INADVERTENT ENCOUNTER WITH HIGH VELOCITY WINDS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 1, 1990 · about 11:05 pm local time
- Place
- Mammoth Lakes, California · Mammoth Lakes · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N51872 · no longer on the register · serial 17274367
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT, THE SOLE OCCCUPANT, WAS TAXIING TO THE AIRPORT RAMP AFTER LANDING AND NOTICED TUMBLEWEEDS AND DEBRIS BEING BLOWN IN THE DIRECTION OF HIS AIRPLANE. THE PILOT STOPPED THE AIRPLANE AND A FEW SECONDS LATER, THE AIRPLANE WAS STRUCK BY HIGH VELOCITY WINDS. THE AIRPLANE WAS LIFTED UP AND INVERTED. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THUNDERSTORMS AND VIRGA WERE REPORTED IN THE AREA.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,096 hours in all; 1,618 in this make and model; 152 in the last 90 days; 52 in the last 30 days; 3,972 as pilot in command; 1,808 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,851 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 16, 1990; 61 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Hanger #1 Aero Service
The flight
- Departed from: BIH Bishop CA at 10:35 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 7,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 15 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.