Cessna 172 accident near Fields, Oregon, June 12, 2021
On June 12, 2021 at about 4:45 pm local time, a 1972 Cessna 172, registered N20406, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Fields, Oregon. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing on a highway, which resulted in an impact with terrain and subsequent nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 12, 2021 · about 4:45 pm local time
- Place
- Fields, Oregon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 M, built 1972 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N20406 · registry record · serial 17261265
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, he initiated a landing on a highway near a remote town for lunch. After touchdown, the airplane veered left, and the pilot applied full right rudder control input, but the airplane exited the roadway surface and impacted terrain. The airplane nosed over, and the right-wing lift strut and empennage sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing (landing roll)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 338.4 hours in all; 310.8 in this make and model; 11.7 in the last 90 days; 10.6 in the last 30 days; 251.8 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 9, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,856.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 23, 2020; 42 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 0-320-E2D (piston); 5,814 hours total
- Operator: Chewelah Flyers INC
The flight
- Departed from: KNBO Burns OR at 4:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 8:52 am from KREO, 41 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KREO 121552Z AUTO VRB03KT 18/07 A3010 RMK AO1 SLP162 T01830072=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on September 21, 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photos | PDF, 3 pages | 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 N20406 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.