- Date
- September 29, 1990, 16:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Neilton, WA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N738AQCessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 22, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900929043999A
- Case key
- 41290
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 failure of the crew to maintain adequate clearance from the terrain. Factors to the accident were mountainous and box canyon terrain.
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
First training flight for PIC in search & rescue operations. CFI on board had flown several missions. Flight was to practice contour terrain flying at aprx 80 knots and 300-400 ft AGL. Wreckage was located on the side of a box canyon about 1500 ft below the ridge line.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N738AQ
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17269828
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Wurscher, David L.
- Registered owner
- Unknown
- Departed
- SHN · Shelton, WA
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
- 46
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 500 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.