# Accident 20210701012429A: Cessna 172R, Missoula, MT, July 1, 2021

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 1, 2021, 11:55 local time
- Place: Missoula, MT
- Airport: Missoula International Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 46.8405° N, 114.2859° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=46.8405&lon=-114.2859&mi=10
- Aircraft: N2388L, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N2388L-2024-10-07) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 172R (registry code 2072401, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172r) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming I0360 series (registry code 41515, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-i0360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172R
- Reported engine: LYCOMING I0360 SER
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 410 total, 408 in this make and model, 12 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR21FA258](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR21FA258) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210701012429A

## Narrative

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

ON JULY 1, 2021 AT ABOUT 11:45 N2388L DEPARTED MSO WITH A FULL LOAD OF FUEL,

2 ADULTS WITH BAGGAGE. LOCAL TEMPERATURES WERE REPORTED IN THE MID TO UPPER 90 DEGREES F. PIC FLEW AIRCRAFT INTO A BOX CANYON AT AN ALTITUDE BELOW THE ELEVATION OF THE LOWEST MOUNTAIN PASS. AIRCRAFT FAILED TO OUT CLIMB

SURROUNDING TERRAIN OR TURN AROUND. STALLED AND IMPACTED THE GROUND AT A HIGH ANGLE / HIGH VELOCITY. NO POST ACCIDENT FIRE. TOTAL FLIGHT TIME WAS ABOUT 13 MINUTES

## 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 WPR21FA258](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR21FA258), Jul 1, 2021: Cessna 172R (N2388L), Missoula, MT, substantial damage, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed and exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall at an altitude too low for recovery.

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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