- Date
- August 29, 2011, 09:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Atlanta, ID
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N8698UCessna 172F
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 1, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administratin
- FAA report
- 20110829019029A
- Case key
- 81625
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 misjudgment of his final approach path. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s inadequate preflight planning.
Findings · 7
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
According to the pilot, on short final approach in his low performance airplane, he realized that his approach path was too high, so he attempted to go around. After full engine power was applied, he recognized that he had insufficient distance from the approaching trees and terrain to perform a go-around. Therefore, he aborted the maneuver and forced the airplane onto the ground in a clearing beyond the departure end of the runway. The airplane impacted the ground hard, breaking the wing and fuselage structure. The pilot reported that he was unfamiliar with the airport, and he had not read the Federal Aviation Administration’s published remarks for the airport in its Airport Facility Directory. The remarks state, in part, that the airport is recommended for use by “mountain proficient pilots using high performance aircraft.” It also states “no go-around due to rising terrain and trees.” Nine-thousand foot mountains are located within 5 miles from northwest through southeast of the 5,500-foot mean sea level airport.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, on short final approach to runway 34 in his 145-horsepower Cessna 172F, he realized that his approach path was too high, so he attempted to go around. After full engine power was applied, he recognized that he had insufficient distance from the approaching trees and terrain to perform a go-around. Therefore, he aborted the maneuver and forced the airplane onto the ground in a clearing beyond the departure end of the runway. The airplane impacted the ground hard, breaking wing and fuselage structure. The pilot reported to the National Transportation Safety Board investigator that he was unfamiliar with the airport, and he had not read the Federal Aviation Administration’s published remarks for the airport in its Airport Facility Directory. The remarks state, in pertinent part, that the airport is recommended for use by “mountain proficient pilots using high performance aircraft.” It also states “no go-around due to rising terrain and trees.” Nine thousand foot mountains are located within 5 miles from northwest through southeast of the 5,500-foot mean sea level airport.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8698U
- Reported as
- Cessna 172F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17252602
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-300 SER, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 27, 2011
- Departed
- S78 · Emmett, ID
- Destination
- 55H · Atlanta, ID
- Airport
- 55H · Atlanta, runway 34, 2,460 × 75 ft, dirt
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
- 57
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 24, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 181 total · 140 in this make and model · 135 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 11, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 467 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.