Cessna 172 accident near Kennewick, Washington, May 9, 1988
On May 9, 1988 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N7090A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kennewick, Washington (Vista Field). It was an instructional 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 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
- May 9, 1988 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Kennewick, Washington · Vista Field · 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
- N7090A · no longer on the register · serial 29190
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING LANDING ROLL THE AIRCRAFT'S NOSE GEAR BEGAN TO SHUDDER, WITH THE NOSE GEAR TURNING 90 DEGREES TO THE LEFT. THE AIRCRAFT THEN NOSED DOWN ONTO THE NOSE AND RIGHT WING. VISUAL EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT'S SHIMMY DAMPENER ARM ASSEMBLY REVEALED A PREVIOUS WELD WITHIN 1/2' OF A FRACTURE. THE FRACTURE SURFACES WERE ROUGH AND IRREGULAR IN APPEARANCE. THE NOSE GEAR STEERING ROD END BEARING BOLT WAS ALSO FRACTURED FROM WHAT APPEARED TO BE BENDING FORCES. NO RECORD OF A REPAIR TO THE NOSE GEAR SHIMMY DAMPENER ARM ASSEMBLY COULD BE FOUND IN THE AIRCRAFT'S MAINTENANCE LOG BOOKS.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,956 hours in all; 11 in this make and model; 36 in the last 90 days; 3,779 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 28, 1987
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S98 Kennewick WA
- Destination: S98
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 2, 3,490 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 9:00 am
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.