# NTSB DEN00LA041: Cessna 172P, N65710, Huntsville, UT, January 8, 2000

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report
- Date: January 8, 2000, 12:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place: Huntsville, UT
- Coordinates: 41.279327, -111.690765 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.2793&lon=-111.6908&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 2 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report December 4, 2000
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 48458
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DEN00LA041
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/48458/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN00LA041

## Probable cause

The snow shower, and the lack of suitable terrain for the precautionary landing.

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- In flight encounter with weather, maneuvering
  - weather condition - snow (cause)
  - precautionary landing - performed, pilot in command
- On ground/water encounter with terrain/water, landing - roll
  - terrain condition - ditch
  - terrain condition - none suitable (cause)

## Analysis

The flight instructor and his student were flying in the mountains when a snow storm was encountered.  The instructor decided to make a precautionary landing because flight conditions were deteriorating to IMC.  While landing on the icy road, the airplane slid off into a ditch.

## Factual narrative

On January 8, 2000, at 1230 mountain standard time, a Cessna 172P, N65710, was substantially damaged during a precautionary landing on a road near Huntsville, Utah.  The flight instructor and his student were not injured.  The airplane was being operated by Utah State University, Logan, Utah, under Title 14 CFR Part 91.  Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed for the cross-country flight which originated from Heber, Utah, approximately 45 minutes before the accident.  A school VFR flight plan had been filed.

A witness reported that a snow storm "came in real fast," and conditions deteriorated in 5 minutes.  The flight instructor said that they were surrounded by mountains and the "flight conditions became instrument meteorological in a matter of minutes."  He said he could see a road below him and he landed.  During the landing rollout, the instructor pilot discovered that the road was covered with ice.  The road curved to the left, and the airplane exited the road to the right, and impacted a ditch, damaging the engine firewall and engine mounts.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N65710](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N65710), registered now, S/N 17275828, built 1982 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: Cessna 172P
- Registry model: [Cessna 172P](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172p) (registry code 2072436) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Lycoming IO-320 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-320-series) (registry code 41509, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 17275828
- Airframe hours: 9199
- Engines: Lycoming O-360-A4M 180 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Instructional, Part 91
- Registered owner: Utah State University
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: 100 hour, December 17, 1999, 21 hours before
- Departed: 36U, HEBER CITY MUNI, UT
- Destination: LGU, LOGAN, UT
- Flight plan: Company VFR

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 25; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: right; flight hours: 580 total, 180 in this make and model, 547 as pilot in command, 94 in the last 90 days, 21 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Instrument (IMC), Day
- Wind: 170° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: 2,600 ft overcast
- Temperature: 30 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observed at: OGD, 8 nm away

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20000108012199A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000108012199A), Jan 8, 2000: Cessna 172P, Huntsville, UT, No damage. (-23)Aircraft received substantial damage during an emergency landing on a road near Huntsville, Utah. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed. A snow…

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.

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