Cessna 172XP accident near Walla Walla, Washington, April 10, 1988
On April 10, 1988 at about 6:10 pm local time, a Cessna 172XP, registered N736KG, was substantially damaged in an accident near Walla Walla, Washington. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. 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
- April 10, 1988 · about 6:10 pm local time
- Place
- Walla Walla, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172XP · all 172XPs on the register
- Registration
- N736KG · no longer on the register · serial R1722583
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING DESCENT FOR LANDING THE PILOT NOTED A SURGE COMING FROM THE ENGINE AREA, ACCOMPANIED BY AN INCREASE IN RPM'S. BOTH THE OIL TEMPERATURE AND THE OIL PRESSURE GAUGES WERE READING ZERO. THE CYLINDER HEAD TEMPERATURE HAD REACHED 500 DEGREES AND SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE ENGINE AREA. THE PILOT THEN SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE. LANDING WAS ACCOMPLISHED ONTO A SOFT COW PASTURE. DURING LANDING ROLL THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER INVERTED. METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION REVEALED HEAT DAMAGE AND OVERSTRESS FRACTURES OF THE COMPONENTS EXAMINED. THE OIL PUMP DRIVE KEY WAS FOUND TO HAVE SHEARED.
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: 91 hours in all; 7 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 63 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,076 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 1, 1988
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-360-K (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 8S4 Enterprise OR at 5:30 pm
- Destination: ALW Walla Walla WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.