- Date
- December 8, 2020, 08:50 local (15:50 UTC)
- Place
- Dillon, MT
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N46017Cessna 172
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR go-around: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20201208017469A
- Case key
- 102387
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 exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle attack during an attempted go-around, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Findings · 3
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 solo student pilot reported that, while on final approach to land, he decided to initiate a go-around. He applied full power and pitched up the airplane, which then stalled and turned left about 90°. The pilot was able to recover from the stall, but the airplane was close to the ground. Subsequently he landed the airplane in an open field. The student saw an irrigation ditch ahead and attempted to become airborne again, but the airplane did not gain sufficient lift and subsequently impacted the ditch. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The student reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N46017
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (I)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17256990
- Built
- 1968
- Airframe hours
- 5,377.2
- Engine
- Lycoming 0-320-E2D, 150 hp, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Ridgeview Aviation
- Registered owner
- Martineau Aircraft
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 15, 2020 · 62.6 hours before
- Departed
- BZN · Bozeman, MT
- Destination
- DLN · Dillon, MT
- Airport
- DLN · Dillon Airport, runway 17, 6,501 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B, 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 23
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 49.2 total · 48.1 in this make and model · 6.7 as pilot in command · 39.6 in the last 90 days · 13.8 in the last 30 days · 1.4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 18 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 37 °F, dew point 12 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.34 inHg
- Icing
- Unknown
- Turbulence
- Unknown
- Observed at
- KDLN
- METAR
- KDLN 081653Z AUTO 22018KT 10SM CLR 03/M11 A3034 RMK AO2 SLP287 T00331106
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.