- Date
- February 2, 1991, 19:45 local (Feb 3, 1991, 02:45 UTC)
- Place
- Colstrip, MT
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N8531BCessna C-172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report January 25, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910202001499A
- Case key
- 41302
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 adequate terrain clearance. Factors relating to the accident were the pilot's lack of total night flight experience, his lack of recent night flight experience, the dark night light conditions, and the mountainous/hilly terrain in the area.
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
The acft impacted a ridgeline on downwind in the traffic pattern while the pilot was on a night currency training flight at a recently opened lighted airport. The pilot had 4 hours total night flight time, with .8 hours PIC, all flown during initial pilot training in 1984. He had no recorded night flight time since. He was not instrument rated and had no instrument flight time. The airport is located in an unpopulated mountainous area with very little artificial light. There was no natural illumination at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8531B
- Reported as
- Cessna C-172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17236231
- Engine
- Continental O-300-D, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- John E. Ricks
- Registered owner
- John E. Ricks
- Departed
- M46 · Colstrip, MT
- Airport
- M46 · Colstrip, runway 24, 5,100 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
- 56
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 279 total · 153 in this make and model · 220 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 180° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 36 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Observed at
- MLS, 49 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.