# Accident 19970809025949A: Cessna 172L, Townsend, MT, August 9, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 9, 1997, 12:30 local time
- Place: Townsend, MT
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 46.4793° N, 111.3407° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=46.4793&lon=-111.3407&mi=10
- Aircraft: N7925G, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N7925G-1998-01-13) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 172L (registry code 2072432, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172l) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172L
- Reported engine: LYC O320E2D
- People aboard: 4
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 250 total, 93 in this make and model, 56 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB SEA97LA185](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA97LA185) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970809025949A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(.4)THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHILE CIRCLING CATTLE AT ABOUT 1,200 FEET TO 1,500 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL NEAR A MOUNTAIN RANGE, THE PILOT-RATED PASSENGER, WHO WAS FLYING THE AIRPLANE AT THE TIME, BEGAN A 500 FEET PER MINUTE CLIMB. THE PASSENGER STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE FELT SLUGGISH AND THE PILOT TOOK OVER THE CONTROLS AND ADDED FULL POWER.  THE AIRSPEED DECREASED AND THE PILOT LEVELED THE AIRPLANE'S WINGS AND LOWERED THE NOSE TO A LEVEL ATTITUDE.  THE AIRSPEED CONTINUED TO DECREASE AND THE PILOT LOWERED THE NOSE AND HEADED TOWARD LOWER TERRAIN.  THE PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE STALLED, WHICH HE RECOVERED FROM PRIOR TO LANDING.  DURING THE LANDING ROLL ON ROUGH TERRAIN, THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB SEA97LA185](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA97LA185), Aug 9, 1997: Cessna 172L (N7925G), Townsend, MT, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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