Cessna 172M accident near Longbranch, Washington, October 8, 1993
On October 8, 1993 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N9932Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Longbranch, Washington. 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 INSTRUCTOR PILOT'S FAILURE TO FOLLOW PROCEDURES. FACTORS INCLUDE CARBURETOR ICING CONDITIONS AND SOFT TERRAIN IN THE LANDING AREA.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 8, 1993 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Longbranch, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N9932Q · no longer on the register · serial 17265876
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING A PRE-RENT CHECKOUT FLIGHT, THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR PULLED THE THROTTLE TO IDLE TO SIMULATE A LOSS OF POWER. CARB HEAT WAS APPLIED DURING THE DESCENT, AND ONCE DURING THE MANEUVER THE INSTRUCTOR 'CLEARED THE THROTTLE.' WHEN POWER WAS APPLIED FOR A GO-AROUND NEAR THE END OF THE SIMULATED MANEUVER, AN ALMOST COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER WAS EXPERIENCED. A FORCED LANDING WAS THEN ATTEMPTED IN A NEARBY FIELD, AND THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER AFTER THE NOSE GEAR BROKE OFF IN THE SOFT TERRAIN. ACCORDING TO THE CARBURETOR ICING PROBABILITY CHART (DOT/FAA/CT-82/44) THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE SERIOUS ICING MAY BE EXPECTED TO OCCUR AT GLIDE POWER. THE ONE APPLICATION OF POWER DURING THE DESCENT WAS NOT SUFFICIENT TO ENSURE ICE DID NOT FORM IN THE CABURETOR THROAT.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,548 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 225 in the last 90 days; 91 in the last 30 days; 1,468 as pilot in command; 900 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,309 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 4, 1993; 9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TIW Tacoma WA at 10:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:50 pm from TIW, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.