Cessna 172N accident near Renton, Washington, February 9, 1986
On February 9, 1986 at about 7:50 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N738XX, was destroyed in an accident near Renton, Washington (Renton Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. 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
- February 9, 1986 · about 7:50 pm local time
- Place
- Renton, Washington · Renton Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N738XX · no longer on the register · serial 17270328
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE RECENTLY CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT WAS ENGAGED IN PRACTICE TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS. SOMETIME AFTER THE SECOND APPROACH THE THROTTLE CONTROL ROD BECAME DISCONNECTED FROM THE THROTTLE CABLE AND THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO RETARD THE THROTTLE FROM A FULL POWER CONDITION. THE PILOT SUBSEQUENTLY MANEUVERED THE AIRCRAFT BACK TOWARDS THE AIRPORT IN A HIGH SPEED, CLEAN, DESCENDING PROFILE AND OVERSHOT THE FINAL APPROACH EVENTUALLY COLLIDING WITH TREES AND A FENCE SLIGHTLY NORTHWEST OF MIDFIELD. THERE WAS NO APPARENT ATTEMPT BY THE PILOT TO EXECUTE THE STUCK THROTTLE PROCEDURES WHICH HER FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR HAD PREVIOUSLY PROVIDED TO HER WHILE UNDER TRAINING.
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: 105 hours in all; 14 in this make and model; 32 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,452 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 24, 1986; 32 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: BFI Seattle WA at 7:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 12, 5,379 ft by 200 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:49 pm from RNT
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.