- Date
- April 14, 1993, 15:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Pony, MT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N79505Cessna 172K
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 13, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930414009319A
- Case key
- 43009
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 improper preflt planning by the PIC and his failure to attain takeoff airspeed during ground roll on a soft snow covered airstrip. A factor relating to the accident was the soft snow on the airstrip.
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 attempted to takeoff on a 3700 ft. long sod strip that was covered with about 3 inches of new, soft, wet snow and the acft did not attain takeoff airspeed during ground roll. The acft lifted off, stalled/ mushed, and impacted an embankment off the end of the strip.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N79505
- Reported as
- Cessna 172K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17258137
- Airframe hours
- 5,655
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Big Sky Flying Club, Inc
- Registered owner
- Big Sky Flying Club, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 24, 1993 · 35 hours before
- Departed
- NONE
- Destination
- 5U3 · Ennis, MT
- Airport
- NONE · Trails End Ranch, runway 18, 3,700 × 50 ft, grass/turf
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
- 45
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 6,000 total · 22 in this make and model · 6,000 as pilot in command · 1 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BZN, 32 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.