What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 26, 2010, about 2150 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 172G, N4640L, collided withmountainous terrain while maneuvering about five miles southeast of Silver City, Idaho. Thecertificated private pilot and two passengers received serious injuries. The airplane sustaineddamage to the fuselage, wings and flight control surfaces. The airplane was registered to thepilot, and operated as a personal flight under the provisions of 14 code of federal regulationspart 91. Marginal visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. Theflight originated from rome, Oregon (reo), about 1930. The pilot's intended destination wasmountain home, Idaho (U76).the pilot reported that the accident flight was the third flight leg of the day. Earlier in the dayhe flew with the passengers from lodi, California, to susanville, California. About 1400 the pilotdeparted susanville with a planned destination of U76. About 1 hour into the flight the pilot"turned back" from his planned destination due to deteriorating weather conditions and diverted toreo. Initially, the pilot and passengers planned to overnight in rome; however, after weatherconditions improved they again departed for U76.as the flight progressed over mountainous terrain, the weather conditions again began todeteriorate, and they encountered heavy mixed precipitation and reduced visibility. One of thepassengers reported the flight visibility at one point had dropped to "zero." The pilot furtherdescribed that the airframe began accumulating ice and that he had to apply full engine power inorder to maintain cruise airspeed. Shortly thereafter, the pilot noted a significant reduction inperformance followed in succession by an aerodynamic stall. The pilot responded by reducing thepitch attitude, before the airplane encountered rising terrain, impacted trees, and settled to theground in a tail-low attitude. Initial rescue efforts were delayed due to snow showers and poor visibility. On may 28, search andrescue personnel reached the accident site and airlifted the pilot and passengers to a regionalmedical facility in boise, Idaho.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 26, 2010, ABOUT 2150 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 172G, N4640L, COLLIDED WITHMOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN WHILE MANEUVERING ABOUT FIVE MILES SOUTHEAST OF SILVER CITY, IDAHO. THECERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINEDDAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE, WINGS AND FLIGHT CONTROL SURFACES. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO THEPILOT, AND OPERATED AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONSPART 91. MARGINAL VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THEFLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM ROME, OREGON (REO), ABOUT 1930. THE PILOT'S INTENDED DESTINATION WASMOUNTAIN HOME, IDAHO (U76).THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT WAS THE THIRD FLIGHT LEG OF THE DAY. EARLIER IN THE DAYHE FLEW WITH THE PASSENGERS FROM LODI, CALIFORNIA, TO SUSANVILLE, CALIFORNIA. ABOUT 1400 THE PILOTDEPARTED SUSANVILLE WITH A PLANNED DESTINATION OF U76. ABOUT 1 HOUR INTO THE FLIGHT THE PILOT"TURNED BACK" FROM HIS PLANNED DESTINATION DUE TO DETERIORATING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND DIVERTED TOREO. INITIALLY, THE PILOT AND PASSENGERS PLANNED TO OVERNIGHT IN ROME; HOWEVER, AFTER WEATHERCONDITIONS IMPROVED THEY AGAIN DEPARTED FOR U76.AS THE FLIGHT PROGRESSED OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, THE WEATHER CONDITIONS AGAIN BEGAN TODETERIORATE, AND THEY ENCOUNTERED HEAVY MIXED PRECIPITATION AND REDUCED VISIBILITY. ONE OF THEPASSENGERS REPORTED THE FLIGHT VISIBILITY AT ONE POINT HAD DROPPED TO "ZERO." THE PILOT FURTHERDESCRIBED THAT THE AIRFRAME BEGAN ACCUMULATING ICE AND THAT HE HAD TO APPLY FULL ENGINE POWER INORDER TO MAINTAIN CRUISE AIRSPEED. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE PILOT NOTED A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION INPERFORMANCE FOLLOWED IN SUCCESSION BY AN AERODYNAMIC STALL. THE PILOT RESPONDED BY REDUCING THEPITCH ATTITUDE, BEFORE THE AIRPLANE ENCOUNTERED RISING TERRAIN, IMPACTED TREES, AND SETTLED TO THEGROUND IN A TAIL-LOW ATTITUDE.INITIAL RESCUE EFFORTS WERE DELAYED DUE TO SNOW SHOWERS AND POOR VISIBILITY. ON MAY 28, SEARCH ANDRESCUE PERSONNEL REACHED THE ACCIDENT SITE AND AIRLIFTED THE PILOT AND PASSENGERS TO A REGIONALMEDICAL FACILITY IN BOISE, IDAHO.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.