- Date
- February 7, 1988, 16:24 local (23:24 UTC)
- Place
- Red Lodge, MT
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N20484Cessna 172M
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 25, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880207029039A
- Case key
- 17353
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The plt and two pax were returning to twin falls, id from billings, MT. The plt rec two wx briefings prior to dep. The wx forecast indicated low clouds, snow, turb and icing cond along the intended route of flight. The route of flight required the plt to traverse high mtn terrain. The plt radioed he was encountering clouds near the mtns. The acc site elev was 10,000 ft. there was no evidence of a mech malfunction or failure of the acft structure, flt controls, eng or prop. The fss had forecast the mountains to be obscured by clouds and the wx to include snow and turbulence.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N20484
- Reported as
- Cessna 172M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17261327
- Airframe hours
- 3,402
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Rim To Rim Flyers Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 18, 1987 · 53 hours before
- Departed
- BIL · Billings, MT
- Destination
- TWF · Twin Falls, ID
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 32
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 152 total · 87 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BIL, 65 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.