- Date
- April 16, 1991, 13:15 local (20:15 UTC)
- Place
- Coeur D'Alene, ID
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- CFBETCessna 172H
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 7, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 41414
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 misjudgement of his aircraft's climb capability when flying towards rising terrain. Factors include his lack of familiarity with the geographic 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 pilot of the Cessna 172 floatplane departed couer D'Alene lake in a northeasterly direction, entering a valley that became a canyon, with terrain that rose significantly faster than the aircraft was climbing. The pilot determined that it was too narrow to turn around, and continued climbing until the aircraft struck trees on top of a saddle.
Aircraft
- Registration
- CFBET
- Reported as
- Cessna 172H
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17255248
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Charles S. Parnell
- Registered owner
- Charles S. Parnell
- Departed
- S76 · Brooks Spb, ID
- Destination
- Flathead Lake, MT
- Flight plan
- VFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 49
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 290 total · 242 in this make and model · 172 as pilot in command · 31 in the last 90 days · 22 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 45° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 24 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None