- Date
- February 11, 1987, 19:36 local (Feb 12, 1987, 01:36 UTC)
- Place
- Fergus Falls, MN
- Injuries
- 4 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Unknown
- Aircraft
- N734MVCessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report August 31, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870211002639A
- Case key
- 13632
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
Following a 1.5 hour personal flight at night, the aircraft crashed into the side of a low hill near the destination airport. Although the pilot had a total of 6 hours of night time, most of his solo night time was during this last flight. Hazy VFR conditions existed at the time. Birds were active in the area and a few feathers were located around the wreck, but no bird blood, unusual denting of the aircraft or actual bird remains were found.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N734MV
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17268968
- Airframe hours
- 1,700
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- West Central Airways, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 6, 1987 · 6 hours before
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- FFM · Fergus Falls Muni
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
- 28
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 69 total · 15 in this make and model · 38 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 240° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FFM, 2 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.