20100521036549I

Incident · No damage

FAA incident report · Cessna 172M · Las Vegas, NV · May 21, 2010

Date: May 21, 2010 · 18:10 local
Place: Las Vegas, NV
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N61867
Reported as: Cessna 172M
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 6,500 total500 in this make and model40 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

The event occurred on may 21, 2010 at approx. 18:10 local time. ATC noticed N61867 below his assigned altitude, so ATC issued the las altimeter setting and advised the aircraft to "maintain one zero thousand". N61867 advised he was unable to climb due to a strong downdraft that was forcing him down faster than he could climb. The pilot advised he had terrain in sight, then ATC again asked and verified terrain in sight. Next, ATC issued a low altitude alert to N61867. The minimum IFR altitude in the area of the aircraft was 10,000 feet. The controller at the sector checked a couple of times with N61867 to see if he could climb back up to and maintain 10,000 feet. After four (4) minutes, N61867 was finally able to maintain assigned altitude again. The lowest point that N61867 reached was 1300 feet below assigned altitude (8,700 feet).

As the FAA filed it

THE EVENT OCCURRED ON MAY 21, 2010 AT APPROX. 18:10 LOCAL TIME. ATC NOTICED N61867 BELOW HIS ASSIGNED ALTITUDE, SO ATC ISSUED THE LAS ALTIMETER SETTING AND ADVISED THE AIRCRAFT TO "MAINTAIN ONE ZERO THOUSAND". N61867 ADVISED HE WAS UNABLE TO CLIMB DUE TO A STRONG DOWNDRAFT THAT WAS FORCING HIM DOWN FASTER THAN HE COULD CLIMB. THE PILOT ADVISED HE HAD TERRAIN IN SIGHT, THEN ATC AGAIN ASKED AND VERIFIED TERRAIN IN SIGHT. NEXT, ATC ISSUED A LOW ALTITUDE ALERT TO N61867. THE MINIMUM IFR ALTITUDE IN THE AREA OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS 10,000 FEET. THE CONTROLLER AT THE SECTOR CHECKED A COUPLE OF TIMES WITH N61867 TO SEE IF HE COULD CLIMB BACK UP TO AND MAINTAIN 10,000 FEET. AFTER FOUR (4) MINUTES, N61867 WAS FINALLY ABLE TO MAINTAIN ASSIGNED ALTITUDE AGAIN. THE LOWEST POINT THAT N61867 REACHED WAS 1300 FEET BELOW ASSIGNED ALTITUDE (8,700 FEET).