- Date
- November 4, 1983, 00:00 local (08:00 UTC)
- Place
- Elko, NV
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N739YLCessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19831104057879A
- Case key
- 23902
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 acft crashed in mountainous terrain while on a deer spotting flt. There were no witnesses to the accident. About 8 hours after departure the acft was declared missing. The acft was found the following day at about 0730 hours by air search acft. Ground scars indicate that the acft impacted in about a 30 degree right wing down and 5 degree nose up attitude. The terrain was sloping 30 degrees upward at point of impact. The acft traveled about 64 ft after impact. The flaps were extended--right 10 degrees down, left 50 degrees down. The damage to the propeller indicated power was being developed at time of impact. Continuity of the flt control cables was established. Post-mortem and toxicological examinations could not be performed due to fire after impact.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N739YL
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17270912
- Airframe hours
- 1,762
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- El Aero Services, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 15, 1983 · 18 hours before
- Departed
- ELY · Ely, NV
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 39
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 16,081 total · 15,936 as pilot in command · 96 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 15,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- EKO, 30 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.