Cessna 172P accident near Coalinga, California, August 11, 1990
On August 11, 1990 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N9551L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Coalinga, California (Coalinga airport). It was an instructional 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 FAILURE OF THE STUDENT PILOT TO ACCURATELY INTERPRET THE WIND SOCK, AND HIS INADVERTENT ATTEMPT TO PERFORM A DOWNWIND LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 11, 1990 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Coalinga, California · Coalinga · 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
- N9551L · no longer on the register · serial 17272709
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO GROUND WITNESSES AT THE AIRPORT, THE AIRCRAFT LANDED DOWNWIND ON RUNWAY 19. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED TO TOUCH DOWN ON THE FIRST THIRD OF THE 4,100 FOOT LONG RUNWAY, TRAVEL THE FULL LENGTH OF THE PAVEMENT, THEN SKID OFF THE DEPARTURE END AND INTO A DITCH. HEAVY SKID MARKS WERE REPORTED ON THE LAST SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET OF THE PAVEMENT. THE STUDENT PILOT STATED THAT HE MISINTERPETED THE WIND SOCK INDICATIONS.
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: student
- Flight time: 78 hours in all; 78 in this make and model; 44 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,307 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: King Aviation Center, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: PTV Porterville CA at 9:30 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 19, 4,140 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 18 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 9:00 pm from PTV, 59 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.
Other NTSB records under N9551L 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.