Cessna 172 accident near Arch Cape, Oregon, November 9, 2020
On November 9, 2020, a 1977 Cessna 172, registered N1444V, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering near Arch Cape, Oregon. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s descent into the ocean for reasons that could not be determined.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 9, 2020
- Place
- Arch Cape, Oregon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 K, built 1977 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N1444V · no longer on the register · serial R1722192
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A witness, located on the shoreline, about three quarters of a mile from the accident site, reported that she observed the accident airplane arrive from the south and started to slowly reduce its altitude as it neared her position. The airplane appeared to be in controlled flight in its descent and the engine RPM was consistent with a cruising flight sound. The airplane continued to descend until it struck the water just before Falcon Rock, a large, exposed rock located offshore. A large wave crashed over the airplane, and it disappeared under the water. The wreckage was not located. The pilot is presumed fatally injured and the airplane destroyed. A friend of the pilot reported that the pilot was diagnosed with a terminal illness and added that the pilot did not want to be in a hospital or a care facility and preferred to die in his house or his airplane.
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
What happened, in order
- Miscellaneous/other during maneuvering defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 725 hours in all; 725 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: TMK Tillamook OR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 4:30 pm from KTMK, 26 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on August 3, 2021. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Witness Statements | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Nok Interview | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Excerpts from Sheriff's Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N1444V the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.