- Date
- May 24, 1992, 16:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Colburn, ID
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 2 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N3988QCessna 172L
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 29, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920524043069A
- Case key
- 41579
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 became lost/disoriented, failed to maintain airspeed when he attempted to reverse course in a box canyon, and the aircraft stalled. Factors relating to the accident were the narrow box canyon, the high density altitude, and the lack of mountain flying experience by the PIC.
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 became disoriented and inadvertently entered a box canyon in mountainous terrain. He attempted to reverse course at the top of the narrow canyon at a low altitude and slow airspeed, and the aircraft stalled. The aircraft impacted on the side of a mountain in a nose down attitude at 4400 ft MSL.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3988Q
- Reported as
- Cessna 172L
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17260088
- Airframe hours
- 2,899
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Harkins, Timber J.
- Registered owner
- Carr, Chet D.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 13, 1992 · 72 hours before
- Departed
- 57S · Troy, MT
- Destination
- 57S
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
- 21
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 91 total · 16 in this make and model · 47 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 2 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Observed at
- 57S, 10 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.