- Date
- February 27, 2020, 09:15 local (16:15 UTC)
- Place
- Dubois, ID
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N7904GCessna 172
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 3, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA-FSDO
- FAA report
- 20200227002069A
- Case key
- 101009
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 student pilot's failure to maintain a proper airspeed and descent rate while conducting a low pass over a snow-covered runway after encountering a downdraft and the flight instructor's delayed action, which resulted in the wheels contacting the snow and the airplane nosing over.
Findings · 5
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
The flight instructor reported that, during the instructional flight, the student was making a low pass over the snow-covered runway when the airplane encountered a downdraft that decreased the airspeed and increased the descent rate. The instructor reported that he was too relaxed and should have added power at that moment but didn't. The wheels contacted the snow, and the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings. The instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor reported that during the instructional flight, the student was making a low pass over the snow-covered runway when they experienced a downdraft that decreased the airspeed and increased the descent rate. The flight instructor reported that he was too relaxed and should have added power at that moment, but didn't. The airplane's wheels made contact with the snow and the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7904G
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (L)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17259604
- Built
- 1970
- Airframe hours
- 5,262
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 1, 2020
- Departed
- RXE · Rexburg, ID
- Destination
- RXE · Rexburg, ID
- Airport
- U41 · Dubois Muni, runway 16, 4,600 × 100 ft, snow
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 26
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 23, 2019
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 715 total · 254 in this make and model · 622 as pilot in command · 130 in the last 90 days · 39 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 26
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 53 total · 52 in this make and model · 9 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 3 °F, dew point 9 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- KRXE, 27 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 31, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.2 MB 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.