- Date
- November 9, 2025, 18:15 local (Nov 10, 2025, 01:15 UTC)
- Place
- Blackfoot, ID
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N208CMTecnam P2008
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report February 12, 2026
- 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
- 20251109018949A
- Case key
- 202100
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 altitude and clearance from trees while maneuvering at night.
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 solo student pilot reported that while performing a straight-in approach for landing at night, another airplane began a take-off roll on the runway he intended to land on. The student pilot made a left turn and began a circle to provide additional clearance between his airplane and the departing airplane. During the turn, the student pilot allowed the airplane to unintentionally descend and it struck a tree. The student pilot pitched upward, however, the airplane stalled and impacted trees a second time. Subsequently, the airplane nosed over into a river, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings and stabilator. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N208CM
- Reported as
- Tecnam P2008
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 183
- Built
- 2021
- Airframe hours
- 675
- Engine
- Rotax 914, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · August 12, 2025
- Departed
- IDA · Idaho Falls, ID
- Destination
- U02 · Blackfoot, ID
- Airport
- U02 · McCarley Field
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Auto-pilot, 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
- 66
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Last flight review
- August 1, 2025
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 675 total · 675 in this make and model · 70 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 340° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 37 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.50 inHg
- Observed at
- KIDA, 20 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KIDA 100053Z 34004KT 10SM CLR 03/M07 A3050 RMK AO2 SLP362 T00331067 $=
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 12, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.8 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.