- Date
- December 14, 1991, 12:39 local (19:39 UTC)
- Place
- Jackson, MT
- Injuries
- 2 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4244LCessna C-172G
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 23, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911214056279A
- Case key
- 41616
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
Loss of control due to the pilot's failure to maintain proper airspeed. Factors relating to the accident were the improper flap setting, the high density altitude, mountainous terrain, lack of experience by the pilot, and downdrafft winds.
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 was flying up a mountain ridge at a low altitude above the ground, searching for cattle, when he encountered downdraft winds. He attepted to turn downslope at a low airspeed and the aircraft stalled. The pilot had 17 degrees flaps extended and the acft was near gross weight. The elevation at the accident site was 7500 ft. MSL.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4244L
- Reported as
- Cessna C-172G
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17254313
- Airframe hours
- 4,734
- Engine
- Continental O-300-C, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Operator
- Butte Aviation, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Butte Aviation, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 24, 1991 · 27 hours before
- Departed
- BTM · Butte, MT
- Destination
- BTM · Butte, MT
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
- 27
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 65 total · 65 in this make and model · 5 as pilot in command · 3 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 21 °F, dew point 14 °F
- Observed at
- 27U, 18 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.
Other investigations on N4244L · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.