20200912012629A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Cessna 172H · Seeley Lake, MT · September 12, 2020

Date: September 12, 2020 · 21:45 local
Place: Seeley Lake, MT
Airport: Seeley Lake
Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N3720R
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR20LA304
Reported as: Cessna 172H
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-360-A1A
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 2
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 532 total291 in this make and model27 in the last 90 days

N3720RRegistration cancelled Mar 4, 2021 · Cessna 172HS/N 17255520 · Built 1966 Airframe modelCessna 172H Engine modelContinental 0-300 seriesReciprocating

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.

Saturday September 12, 2020 at about 21:45 local. While on final approach to runway 16 at the Seeley Lake Airport (23S) N3720R a CE-172H crashed in a heavily wooded area about ¾ of a mile north of runway 16. There were three people on board. Left front seat pilot in command was fatally injured, right front seat passenger was seriously injured, left rear seat passenger was fatally injured.

As the FAA filed it

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 12, 2020 AT ABOUT 21:45 LOCAL. WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 16 AT THE SEELEY LAKE AIRPORT (23S) N3720R A CE-172H CRASHED IN A HEAVILY WOODED AREA ABOUT ¾ OF A MILE NORTH OF RUNWAY 16. THERE WERE THREE PEOPLE ON BOARD. LEFT FRONT SEAT PILOT IN COMMAND WAS FATALLY INJURED, RIGHT FRONT SEAT PASSENGER WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED, LEFT REAR SEAT PASSENGER WAS FATALLY INJURED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB WPR20LA304Accident · 2 fatalClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportSeeley Lake, MTThe noninstrument-rated pilot’s encounter with instrument meteorological conditions during a night visual approach due to wildfire smoke, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain.Sep 13, 2020 · Substantial damage