Cessna 172N accident near Truckee, California, July 6, 1993
On July 6, 1993 at about 7:10 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N3090E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Truckee, California (Truckee-Tahoe airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DURING THE TAKEOFF INITIAL CLIMB FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE UNSUITABLE NATURE OF THE TERRAIN FOR A FORCED LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 6, 1993 · about 7:10 pm local time
- Place
- Truckee, California · Truckee-Tahoe · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N3090E · no longer on the register · serial 17271439
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STUDENT PERFORMED A TOUCH AND GO ON RUNWAY 28. DURING THE CLIMB OUT, THE INSTRUCTOR OBSERVED THAT THE ENGINE POWER OUTPUT SEEMED LOW, WITH THE RPM INDICATING ONLY ABOUT 2,000 AND DECREASING. THE INSTRUCTOR STATED THAT THE ENGINE OPERATION WAS SMOOTH, WITH NO APPARENT ROUGHNESS. THE INSTRUCTOR ALSO SAID THAT THE AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT CLEAR THE TREES OFF THE END OF THE RUNWAY AND THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT PAVEMENT LEFT TO AFFECT A LANDING. THE INSTRUCTOR TOOK OVER THE CONTROLS AND LANDED THE AIRCRAFT IN A CLEAR AREA BEYOND THE RUNWAY AND COLLIDED WITH TREES AND ROUGH TERRAIN DURING THE LANDING ROLL OUT. BOTH THE INSTRUCTOR AND THE STUDENT SAID THE CARBURETOR HEAT WAS IN THE OFF POSITION AND THE MIXTURE WAS LEANED TO BEST POWER FOR THE DENSITY ALTITUDE. THE FLAPS WERE FULLY RETRACTED. THE PILOTS SAID THE AIRCRAFT LIFTED OFF AT ABOUT 60 KNOTS AND INCREASED TO ABOUT 65 KNOTS; HOWEVER IT WOULD NOT ACCELERATE BEYOND THAT POINT. DURING THE ENGINE TESTING AND SUBSEQUENT DISASSEMBLY, NO PREIMPACT MECHANICAL FAILURES OR MALFUNCTIONS WERE NOTED.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,676 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 23, 1993; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RNO Reno NV at 6:30 pm
- Destination: TRK CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 7,000 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:10 pm from TRK
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.