- Date
- June 2, 1990, 23:23 local (Jun 3, 1990, 06:23 UTC)
- Place
- Tacoma, WA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N79931Cessna 172K
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report November 9, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900602018179A
- Case key
- 41111
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
The pilot did not adequately maintain a proper glide path for landing which resulted in an inflight collision with a tree.
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
During a VFR flight, the flights intended destination was reporting IFR conditins. The pilot opted to divert to another airport that was reporting VFR. During the descent for landing on final approach, the airplane collided with trees. Post crash investigation did not reveal any mechanical failures or malfunctions. The cockpit intrument panel was destroyed during the impact sequence. The face of the altimeter, however, was retrieved. The barometric pressure window displayed a setting of 30.10 in hg. The last setting air traffic gave to the pilot just prior to accident was 30.02 in hg, a difference of .08 in or 80 feet which would have indicated that the airplane was 80 feet higher than its actual altitude above ground level.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N79931
- Reported as
- Cessna 172K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17258258
- Airframe hours
- 4,625
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Gower Flying Service
- Registered owner
- L. Sheffels And Sons Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 2, 1990 · 71 hours before
- Departed
- WA38 · Monroe, WA
- Destination
- OLM · Olympia, WA
- Airport
- GRF · Gray Aaf, runway 33, 6,100 × ft, dirt
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
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 807 total · 52 in this make and model · 756 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,000 ft
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GRF, 1 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.
Other investigations on N79931 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.