Cessna CE-172P accident near Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, March 24, 1990
On March 24, 1990 at about 11:55 pm local time, a Cessna CE-172P, registered N62274, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. It was a ferry 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
PILOT FACTOR IN THAT HE FAILED TO ENSURE THERE WAS SUFFICIENT FUEL ON BOARD TO COMPLETE THE FLIGHT. THIS RESULTED IN AN ENGINE FAILURE & SUBSEQUENT FORCED LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 24, 1990 · about 11:55 pm local time
- Place
- Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna CE-172P
- Registration
- N62274 · no longer on the register · serial 17275240
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT RECEIVED A PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING PRIOR TO TAKEOFF AND USING THE WINDS ALOFT HE CALCULATED HOW LONG THE FLIGHT WOULD TAKE TO ARRIVE AT HIS DESTINATION AND HOW MUCH FUEL WOULD BE NEEDED. HE CHECKED THE TANKS VISUALLY. THE PILOT SAID WHEN ABOUT 15 MILES OUT FROM JOHNSTOWN, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AND THEN IT QUIT. AN EMERGENCY LANDING WAS MADE IN A GRASS FIELD AND THE LEFT WING CONTACTED A TREE ROTATING THE AIRCRAFT ABOUT T 130 DEGREES TO THE LEFT. INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED NO FUEL IN THE TANKS AND THERE WERE NO LEAKS.
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; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,030 hours in all; 361 in this make and model; 69 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 920 as pilot in command; 210 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LWM Lawrence MA at 8:00 pm
- Destination: JST Johnstown PA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.