Cessna 172P accident near Kelso, Washington, October 14, 1993
On October 14, 1993 at about 3:20 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N115FR, was destroyed in an accident near Kelso, Washington (Kelso airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO FOLLOW THE PUBLISHED MISSED APPROACH PROCEDURE. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE WEATHER AND MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 14, 1993 · about 3:20 pm local time
- Place
- Kelso, Washington · Kelso · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N115FR · no longer on the register · serial 17275261
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AT THE END OF THE CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT, THE PILOT WAS CLEARED FOR THE NDB APPROACH. HE LATER REPORTED THAT HE WAS ON THE MISSED APPROACH AND WANTED TO TRY THE APPROACH AGAIN. THE CONTROLLER CLEARED THE PILOT FOR THE APPROACH AND ASKED THE PILOT TO REPORT THE PROCEDURE TURN INBOUND. THE PILOT'S LAST TRANSMISSION, 3 MINUTES AFTER THE MISSED APPROACH, WAS THAT HE WAS AT 2,200 FT AND CLIMBING. THE AIRPLANE WAS NEVER RE-ESTABLISHED ON RADAR. THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED EAST OF THE APPROACH PATH, APPROX 5 MILES NORTHEAST OF THE AIRPORT, AT THE 1,000 FT LEVEL OF A 1,200 FT MOUNTAIN. A KING AIR PILOT REPORTED THAT THE CLOUDS WERE SOLID NORTH & EAST OF THE AIRPORT, AND EXTENDED TO THE SURFACE. THE NDB APPROACH PATH WAS ALSO SOLID TO THE GROUND WITH FOG AND CLOUDS. THE AREA SOUTH AND WEST WAS UNDER VISUAL CONDITIONS.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 647 hours in all; 12 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 369 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,998 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, October 1, 1993; 26 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BFI Seattle WA at 2:09 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 11, 4,395 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 500 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:15 pm from KLS, 5 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.