- Date
- September 5, 2007, 08:30 local (14:30 UTC)
- Place
- Thompson, UT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8945VCessna 172M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 31, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20070905017609A
- Case key
- 66611
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain terrain clearance while maneuvering in a box canyon.
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
According to the pilot, he and the passenger were spotting for elk. He located some elk and maneuvered the airplane to put the elk on the passenger's side (right side) of the airplane. This resulted in the airplane flying up a box canyon. As the terrain rose, the pilot realized the airplane would not be able to climb over the ridge at the head of the canyon. He turned to the left and attempted to exit the canyon; however, the airplane impacted the terrain and nosed over.
Factual narrative
On September 5, 2007, about 0830 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 172M, N8945V, impacted terrain while maneuvering about 20 nautical miles north northeast of Thompson, Utah. The private pilot and the passenger received minor injuries, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was being operated by the pilot as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed.
According to the pilot, he and the passenger were spotting for elk. He located some elk and maneuvered the airplane to put the elk on the passenger's side (right side) of the airplane. This resulted in the airplane flying up a box canyon. As the terrain rose, the pilot realized the airplane would not be able to climb over the ridge at the head of the canyon. He turned to the left and attempted to exit the canyon; however, the airplane impacted the terrain and nosed over.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8945V
- Reported as
- Cessna 172M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17264301
- Airframe hours
- 4,775
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 2007
- Departed
- PUC · Price, UT
- Destination
- PUC
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
- 25
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 1, 2006
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 364 total · 260 in this make and model · 322 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N8945V · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.