Cessna 172 accident near Ainsworth, Nebraska, January 29, 1989
On January 29, 1989 at about 7:45 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N4843G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ainsworth, Nebraska (Ainsworth airport). It was a personal 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 LOSS OF POWER FROM UNDETERMINED REASONS DURING AN ATTEMPTED GO-AROUND. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE AND THE CROSSWIND CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 29, 1989 · about 7:45 pm local time
- Place
- Ainsworth, Nebraska · Ainsworth · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N4843G · no longer on the register · serial 17273390
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PVT PLT SAID HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO LAND ON RUNWAY 30, WITH A 40 DEGREE LEFT CROSSWIND OF ABOUT 15 KNOTS. DISSATISFIED WITH HIS APPROACH, HE ELECTED TO GO-AROUND BEFORE TOUCHDOWN. AFTER ESTABLISHING A POSITIVE RATE OF CLIMB AND ATTAINING ABOUT 150 FEET AGL, HE SAID THE ENGINE FAILED. HE WENT THROUGH NORMAL EMERGENCY PROCEDURES IN AN EFFORT TO RESTART THE ENGINE WITHOUT SUCCESS. HE ATTEMPTED TO LAND ON A ROUGH FARM FIELD, BUT SAID HE FELT HE HAD LET HIS AIRSPEED DETERIORATE AND THE AIRCRAFT MUSH-STALLED COLLIDING WITH THE TERRAIN. POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION AND ENGINE RUN UP FAILED TO REVEAL THE CAUSE OF ENGINE FAILURE. THE CARBURETOR AND HEAT BOX WERE DESTROYED BY THE IMPACT SO A REPLACEMENT CARBURETOR HAD TO BE FITTED FOR THE RUNUP. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL CONTAMINATION OR STARVATION/EXHAUSTION. METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS WERE NOT CONDUCIVE FOR CARBURETOR ICING. THE PLT HAD BEEN WELL TRAINED IN THE USAGE OF CARBURETOR LEANING TECHNIQUES AND CARBURETOR HEAT CONTROL USAGE.
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: 79 hours in all; 41 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 51 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,357 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 8, 1989; 27 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AIA Alliance NE at 5:38 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 30, 5,500 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:51 pm from ANW, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.