- Date
- July 17, 1982, 13:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Wenatchee, WA
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N72655Cessna 172M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 17, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820717029419A
- Case key
- 72991
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
Reportedly, the pilot, a geologist, was on a flight to check rock formations. Prior to the accident, the plane was observed flying up a canyon at low altitude and airspeed. About 3/4 mile from the accident site, two witnesses on a rocky cliff at about 3500 ft MSL saw the plane pass below their elevation, just above the tree tops. The aircraft crashed on a 35 deg rising slope between 2 parking lots at a ski lodge. The elevation of the accident site was about 4500 ft MSL. An inspection of the engine and airframe revealed no preimpact malfunction or failure.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N72655
- Reported as
- Cessna 172M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17267230
- Airframe hours
- 2,289
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Avx Corporation
- Registered owner
- Avx Corporation
- Departed
- Wenatchee, WA
- Destination
- Seattle, WA
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- Pangborn Field
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
- 48
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 902 total · 530 in this make and model · 781 as pilot in command · 35 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 23,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 169 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.