- Date
- April 20, 1990, 13:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Minden, NV
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Uncontrolled descent
- Aircraft
- N1065FCessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 12, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900420010439A
- Case key
- 41188
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 poor inflight planning and decision.
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
During a local sightseeing flight, the pilot was maneuvering in an area of mountainous terrain. One passenger wanted the pilot to make a left turn. The pilot made a left turn and when he leveled the wings experienced a slight disorientation and noted that the airspeed was decreasing and the vertical speed inidicator indicated a 200 fpm climb. The airplane at this time had travelled into a canyon. The pilot did not feel that a turn was possible and realized that the airplane could not out climb the rising terrain as the airspeed was near stalling speed. The pilot prepared for a collision with the trees. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1065F
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17272942
- Airframe hours
- 4,023
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Mercury Air Center
- Registered owner
- Signal Capital Corp.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 4, 1990 · 18 hours before
- Departed
- RNO · Reno, NV
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
- 33
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 101 total · 85 in this make and model · 45 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.