- Date
- December 20, 1986, 23:31 local (Dec 21, 1986, 06:31 UTC)
- Place
- Crossroads, NM
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N7821UCessna 172E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report April 25, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19861220086459A
- Case key
- 17089
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
The student plt with no simulated or actual instrument and a total of 9 hours night flt time called the amarillo FAA fss, who briefed him on wx for a flt from borger, Texas, to big spring, Texas, located 210 NM south. He was briefed on marginal VFR wx en route and IMC wx with ceiling of 800 feet at destination. He also was advised of a wx frontal system expected to move into the area overnight with widespread IMC by morning. He departed on the night VFR cross country flt but failed to arrive at the destination. The flt was reported missing 9 days after takeoff. The wreckage was located 84 NM west of course in flat, very remote range land. The acft impacted in a left wing low, 30 degrees nose down attitude.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7821U
- Reported as
- Cessna 172E
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17251821
- Airframe hours
- 4,419
- Engine
- Continental O-300-D, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Hoover F. Hu
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 15, 1985 · 105 hours before
- Departed
- BCD · Borger, TX
- Destination
- 21X5 · Big Spring, TX
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
- 39
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 93 total · 93 in this make and model · 93 as pilot in command · 52 in the last 90 days · 16 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 80° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,100 ft broken
- Temperature
- 39 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HOB, 43 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.