Cessna 172 accident near Gleneden Beach, Oregon, October 21, 2005
On October 21, 2005 at about 3:00 am local time, a Cessna 172, registered N6000A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Gleneden Beach, Oregon (Siletz Bay State 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 pilot's failure to maintain clearance from objects while maneuvering over the airport environment. Dark night conditions, trees, and ground fog were factors.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 21, 2005 · about 3:00 am local time
- Place
- Gleneden Beach, Oregon · Siletz Bay State · 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
- N6000A · registry record · serial 28600
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he was in-flight maneuvering over the airstrip to determine runway conditions. There was ground fog present and the lighting conditions were "very dark." The pilot circled the airstrip three or four times and he had the rotating beacon and runway lights in sight, however, he lost sight of the runway lights and when he passed by the rotating beacon he pulled up and heard something hit the right wing. The pilot believed that he was near the southwest end of the airport environment when this happened. The pilot stated that he was unsure if he hit a tree or a bird, but decided not to land and diverted to another airport 42 nautical miles to the northeast, where a landing was made without further incident. Inspection of the aircraft revealed that the right wing tip, to include the outboard rib and about half of the right side aileron had been torn away.
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: 789 hours in all; 600 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: October 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,135 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 1, 2004
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HIO Hillsboro OR at 2:30 am
- Destination: S45 Gleneden Beach OR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 100 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 2:50 am from ONP, 18 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.