Cessna 170A accident near Lopez, Washington, September 13, 1992
On September 13, 1992 at about 2:10 am local time, a Cessna 170A, registered N9577A, was destroyed in an accident near Lopez, Washington (Lopez Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S INADVERTENT STALL/SPIN. FACTORS INCLUDE GUSTY, UNFAVORABLE, HIGH VELOCITY WINDS, AND TURBULENCE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 13, 1992 · about 2:10 am local time
- Place
- Lopez, Washington · Lopez Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170A · all 170As on the register
- Registration
- N9577A · no longer on the register · serial 19397
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AT THE TIME THE CESSNA 170 ARRIVED OVER THE DESTINATION AIRPORT, THE WINDS WERE REPORTED TO BE STRONG, GUSTY, AND MULTIDIRECTIONAL. A NUMBER OF WITNESSES REPORTED HEARING THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE OVERHEAD, FOLLOWED SHORTLY THEREAFTER BY THE SOUND OF THE IMPACT WITH THE TERRAIN. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND TO HAVE IMPACTED THE TERRAIN IN A NEAR VERTICAL ATTITUDE, WITH IMPACT AND CRUSH ANGLES SHOWING THE AIRFRAME HAD A ROTATIONAL MOMENT TO THE LEFT AT THE TIME OF IMPACT.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 2,400 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,719 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 11, 1991; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,050 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-145-2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 0S9 Port Townsend WA at 1:47 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 230° at 25 knots, gusting 35
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.