Cessna 172 accident near Medford, Oregon, October 6, 1985
On October 6, 1985 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N7798X, was destroyed in an accident near Medford, Oregon. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. 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
- October 6, 1985 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Medford, Oregon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N7798X · no longer on the register · serial 17248298
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH ROCKY TERRAIN DURING AN ATTEMPTED FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A LOSS OF PWR. A WITNESS REPORTED SEEING THE ACFT IN A STEEP DESCENDING LEFT TURN AT AN ALT OF APRX 100 FT AGL. THE DESCENT CONTINUED UNTIL THE LEFT WING CONTACTED THE TERRAIN. POST ACCIDENT INSPECTION OF THE ACFT DISCLOSED 1.5 GALLONS OF FUEL REMAINING IN THE RIGHT FUEL TANK. THE LEFT FUEL TANK WAS FOUND EMPTY.
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: 3 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Unknown (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,500 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 6, 1985; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 4S1 Gold Beach OR at 7:00 pm
- Destination: MFR Medford OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 14,000 ft; scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 11:45 pm from MFR, 7 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.