Cessna 172N accident near Hyannis, Nebraska, September 21, 1989
On September 21, 1989 at about 3:30 am local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N733FY, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hyannis, Nebraska. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 2 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE. DARKNESS AND ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE RELATED FACTORS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 21, 1989 · about 3:30 am local time
- Place
- Hyannis, Nebraska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N733FY · no longer on the register · serial 17268272
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT RECEIVED A COMPLETE WEATHER BRIEFING FOR HIS INTENDED ROUTE OF FLIGHT. THE BRIEFING INCLUDED WARNING ADVISORIES AFFECTING HIS INTENDED ROUTE. THE PILOT FILED A VFR FLIGHT PLAN; HOWEVER, HE ENCOUNTERED MARGINAL WX CONDITIONS AT NIGHT WITH HEAVY RAIN. HE ELECTED TO MAKE A 180 DEGREE TURN AND LAND AT A NEARBY AIRPORT. HE SAID HE LEANED FORWARD TO LOOK AT THE MAGNETIC COMPASS, BUT COULD NOT REMEMBER ANYTHING FURTHER ABOUT THE FLIGHT. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE AIRCRAFT HAD DESCENDED & COLLIDED WITH THE TERRAIN.
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 98 in the last 90 days; 33 in the last 30 days; 1,523 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,898 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 31, 1989; 47 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OLU Columbus NE at 10:24 pm
- Destination: AIA Alliance NE
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 340° at 12 knots
- Sky: overcast; not recorded
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 am from CDR, 82 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.