- Date
- June 4, 1990, 13:05 local (17:05 UTC)
- Place
- Onego, WV
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5117UCessna 172RG
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 10, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900604018489A
- Case key
- 11549
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
VFR flight by the pilot into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), and his failure to maintain adequate clearance (altitude) from mountainous terrain. The terrain and adverse weather conditions were related factors.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot was on a VFR flight, when the airplane collided with mountainous terrain at an elevation of about 4300 feet. About 21 miles west at elkin, west Virginia, elevation 1987 ft, the 1251 EDT weather was in part; 2000 ft overcast, visibility 9 miles, temperature 50 degrees, dew point 43 degrees, wind from 310 degrees at 10 KTS. Witnesses in the area reported the mountain tops were obscured in clouds at the time. The investigation did not disclose evidence of mechanical malfunction.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5117U
- Reported as
- Cessna 172RG
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172RG0245
- Airframe hours
- 3,120
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-F1A6, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Kentucky Airmotive, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Hill Enterprise
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 5, 1990 · 52 hours before
- Departed
- IAD · Washington, DC
- Destination
- 013 · Mt Sterling, KY
- Flight plan
- VFR
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 53
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 108 total · 18 in this make and model · 18 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 10 knots
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- EKN, 21 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.