Cessna 172 accident near Ava, Missouri, April 2, 1986
On April 2, 1986 at about 11:25 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N80751, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ava, Missouri. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 2, 1986 · about 11:25 pm local time
- Place
- Ava, Missouri · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N80751 · registry record · serial 17266728
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT REPORTS THAT THE ENG BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AND LOSE RPM WHILE THE ACFT WAS CRUISING AT 2500 FT. HE SAID HE ATTEMPTED EMERG PROC BUT THE LOSS OF RPM CONTINUED AND HE DECIDED ON AN OFF-ARPT LANDING. DURING THE APCH TO THE LANDING AREA THE ENG RPM DROPPED TO 1200 AND THE PLT SECURED THE ENG. DURING THE FORCED LANDING THE ACFT HIT A SMALL TREE AND A FENCE POST. EXAM OF THE ENG REVEALED A BROKEN EXHAUST VALVE IN THE #1 CYL. METALLURGICAL EXAM OF THE BROKEN VALVE REVEALED EVIDENCE OF A PROGRESSIVE FAILURE.
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: 191 hours in all; 114 in this make and model; 69 in the last 90 days; 131 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,950 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 22, 1986; 94 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PLK Point Lookout MO at 11:00 pm
- Destination: 73K Ava MO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.
Other NTSB records under N80751 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.