Cessna 172-P accident near Hood River, Oregon, September 16, 1990
On September 16, 1990 at about 3:22 am local time, a Cessna 172-P, registered N5332K, was destroyed in an accident near Hood River, Oregon. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 3 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT IN COMMAND'S ENCOUNTERING SPATIAL DISORIENTATION AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 16, 1990 · about 3:22 am local time
- Place
- Hood River, Oregon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 3 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172-P · all 172-Ps on the register
- Registration
- N5332K · no longer on the register · serial 17274068
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE RECENTLY CERT PRIVATE PILOT WHO WAS NOT RATED FOR INST FLT TOOK OFF AT NIGHT ON A VFR X-COUNTRY FLT INTO AN AREA OF KNOWN IMC WX. WHEN THE FLT ENCOUNTERED ADVERSE WX, THE PILOT REVERSED COURSE AND ATTEMPTED TO LAND AT AN UNFAMILIAR ARPT. THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN LONG AND THE PILOT ANNOUNCED ON UNICOM THAT HE WAS MAKING A GO-AROUND. THE ACFT CLIMBED TO ABOUT 200 FT AGL, STALLED AND DESCENDED NOSE DOWN UNTIL IT IMPACTED THE GROUND. SKY WAS OVERCAST AND MODERATE RAIN WAS FALLING. THERE WAS NO ARTIFICIAL LIGHT IN THE DIRECTION OF FLT. THE PILOT HAD 5 HRS NIGHT TIME AND NONE OUTSIDE A LIGHTED METRO AREA.
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: 73 hours in all; 7 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 14 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,685 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 6, 1990; 21 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Wings Aloft, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: DLS The Dalles WA at 2:50 am
- Destination: BFI Seattle WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 300° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:48 am from DLS, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.