- Date
- July 9, 1991, 14:28 local (21:28 UTC)
- Place
- Medford, OR
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N734MDCessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 10, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910709026709A
- Case key
- 41477
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
An intentional porpoise. Factors include the pilot's psychological condition.
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 of the Cessna 172 contacted the tower approximately eight minutes prior to the crash, and indicated that he was having trouble with aileron control, and would be returning to the field to attempt a landing. The aircraft touched down in a grassy area near the runway, and then bounced back into the air about five times before the right wing contacted the ground. Both the local police and the FAA investigated the possibility that the crash of the aircraft was intentional. As a result of this accident, the pilot, who was under psychological pressure at the time of the flight, was later indicted by the grand jury for malicious destruction of property. Prior to the indictment, the FAA issued an emergency revocation of the pilot's license.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N734MD
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17268953
- Airframe hours
- 4,146
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Medford Jet Center
- Registered owner
- Medford Jet Center
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 31, 1990
- Airport
- MFR · Medford
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 23
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 239 total · 43 in this make and model · 183 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MFR, 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.