- Date
- October 15, 1983, 12:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Mccall, ID
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N738RDCessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19831015054629A
- Case key
- 39846
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
While en route, the plt entered a drainage area in mountainous terrain with the intent of crossing a ridge at the lowest point. As he continued in a canyon, he had a 500 ft/min climb rate & he believed he could easily clear the ridge. However, as he continued, the climb rate decreased & he got in a position where there was insufficient room to turn around. Subsequently, the acft struck the top of a tree & crashed near the ridge at an elevation of aprx 7900 ft. the plt believed he had encountered downdrafts. The acft was estimated to be near its max gross weight limit. Its normal climb rate at that weight & alt computed to be aprx 330 ft/min. However, the climb rate was near zero just prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N738RD
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17270171
- Airframe hours
- 2,300
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H1AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Pioneer Aviation
- Registered owner
- K/B Century Flying Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 1, 1983 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- U79 · Chamberlain, ID
- Destination
- MYL · Mccall, 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
- 23
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 332 total · 57 in this make and model · 252 as pilot in command · 26 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 30 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.