- Date
- October 5, 1991, 17:20 local (Oct 6, 1991, 00:20 UTC)
- Place
- Miltonfreewater, OR
- Injuries
- 4 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N1372FCessna 172G
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 7, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911005045039A
- Case key
- 41558
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
Inadequate in-flight planning. Factors to the accident were: mountainous terrain, clearance not maintained, lack of total flight experience, and lack of familiarity with geographical 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
During a pleasure flight, the airplane was observed flying just above the tree line in a valley approximately 1,000 feet below the ridge line. The airplane continued to travel through this valley which led into a box canyon. The airplane then made an approximate 45 degree banking right turn, and almost completed the 180 degree turn when it collided with the trees and subsequently the terrain. The winesses reported that the engine was running normally the entire time and that the airplane appeared to be under control until the turning maneuver.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1372F
- Reported as
- Cessna 172G
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17254867
- Engine
- Continental O-300-D, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Charles W. Wolfkiel
- Registered owner
- Charles W. Wolfkiel
- Departed
- ALW · Walla Walla, 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
- 22
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 140 total · 53 in this make and model · 65 as pilot in command · 19 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 30 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.