- Date
- October 27, 2021, 19:42 local (Oct 28, 2021, 01:42 UTC)
- Place
- Newdale, ID · mountainous terrain
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N1671JPiper PA-28-140
- Defining event
- Enroute-descent: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- 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
- 20211027018869A
- Case key
- 104226
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The flight instructor’s failure to monitor the flight to ensure terrain clearance during the dark night conditions.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings.
Analysis
The flight instructor and student pilot were on an instructional flight and were returning to their home airport in dark night conditions. The student pilot was utilizing a view limiting device (foggles) and was receiving altitude and heading instructions from the flight instructor. They had begun a descent about 15 miles east of the destination airport. Shortly thereafter, the student pilot reported that the airplane struck what he thought was a tall standing object. The airplane landed hard, bounced back into the air, and impacted flat open terrain. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the right wing and engine firewall. The flight instructor did not recall any additional circumstances regarding the accident sequence. Both the flight instructor and student reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1671J
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140 (28-24072)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-24072
- Built
- 1968
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Idaho Flight Academy
- Registered owner
- Johnson Kurt A
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 15, 2021
- Departed
- DIJ · Driggs, ID
- Destination
- RXE · Rexburg, ID
- Airport
- N/A
- Equipment
- ADS-B
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
- 47
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 1, 2021
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 587 total · 213 in this make and model
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 24
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Student
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 19 total · 19 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,200 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 36 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.23 inHg
- Observed at
- KSMP, 5 nm away
- METAR
- KSMP 280251Z AUTO 00000KT 3SM UP BR SCT008 OVC012 02/01 A3023 RMK AO2 UPE09B40RAB09E40 P0003 T00170006
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 N1671J · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.