Cessna 190 accident near Idaho Falls, Idaho, April 11, 2025
On April 11, 2025 at about 1:45 am local time, a 1950 Cessna 190, registered N190CG, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Idaho Falls, Idaho (Idaho Falls Rgnl airport). 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 the landing roll in crosswind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 11, 2025 · about 1:45 am local time
- Place
- Idaho Falls, Idaho · Idaho Falls Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 190, built 1950 · all 190s on the register
- Registration
- N190CG · no longer on the register · serial 7634
- 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 while conducting a wheel landing the tailwheel equipped airplane, it bounced twice, and he applied nose down elevator pressure to arrest the bounces. While doing so, he relaxed left aileron input, and the left wing began to rise, and the crosswind pushed the airplane to the right. The pilot stated that at this point the airplane was unrecoverable and the airplane ground looped. During the ground loop, the left main landing gear separated, and the left wing and fuselage struck the ground which resulted in substantial damage to both. At the time of the accident, the pilot was landing on runway 21 with wind from 170° at 11 knots. In a subsequent statement the pilot reported that the initial ground loop occurred because of a loss of aircraft control, but that the failure of the gear leg may have been due to a pre-existing corrosion he observed in the leg after the accident. However, during the removal of the airplane from the accident site the gear leg fracture surface was ground down, and the gear leg welded temporarily back into place. Therefore, a determination of the leg condition before the accident could not be made.
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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
- Other weather encounter during landing (landing roll)
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
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 › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 758.3 hours in all; 24.2 in this make and model; 9.7 in the last 90 days; 5.7 in the last 30 days; 687.1 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 20, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,470.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 4, 2024; 12.7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Jacobs R755-b2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 03/2, 9,002 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 3023.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:00 am from KIDA
Weather report (METAR): KIDA 110153Z 17011KT 10SM CLR 21/M06 A3021 RMK AO2 SLP215 T02061056
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 2 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on September 26, 2025. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photos | PDF, 2 pages · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.