- Date
- September 26, 2024, 12:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Kooskia, ID
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N54829Cessna 172P
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- 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
- 20240926014279A
- Case key
- 195225
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 decision to descend into a canyon that exceeded the performance capabilities of the airplane, which resulted in an impact with trees and terrain.
Findings · 2
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 pilot of the airplane reported that while enroute he chose to descend and perform a low pass over an airstrip located within a canyon. After the airplane overflew the airstrip, the pilot realized the airplane’s climb performance was insufficient to clear the rising terrain in its flight path. Subsequently, the airplane impacted trees and terrain, resulting substantial damage to its wings, fuselage, and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N54829
- Reported as
- Cessna 172P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17275059
- Built
- 1981
- Airframe hours
- 18,682.9
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D2J, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Aviate LLC DBA, doing business as Glass Cockpit Aviation
- Registered owner
- Aviate LLC DBA
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 17, 2024
- Departed
- BOI · Boise, ID
- Airport
- S92 · Fish Lake Usfs, runway 23, 2,650 × 50 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 35
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 18, 2024
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 128.7 total · 106.3 in this make and model · 45.1 as pilot in command · 7.5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
- Observed at
- KP69, 58 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 13, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.0 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.