Cessna 172 N61918
18 March 1990 · Elkhorn, Montana, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 18 March 1990 at about 19:47 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N61918, operated by Helena Aircraft Inc., was involved in an accident near Elkhorn, Montana, United States. 3 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 19:47
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Elkhorn, Montana, United States
- Coordinates
- 46.1707, -111.9905
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172
- Registration
- N61918
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Helena Aircraft Inc.
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Helena → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- DEN90LA075
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Probable cause
THE PILOT'S DECISION TO ATTEMPT FLIGHT IN TERRAIN AND CONDITIONS WHICH EXCEEDED THE PERFORMANCE CAPABILITIES OF THE AIRPLANE.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE FLIGHT FLEW LOW AND SLOW UP A STEEP CANYON. THE PILOT SAID THE FLIGHT ENCOUNTERED A STRONG DOWNDRIFT AND COULD NOT MAINTAIN ALTITUDE WITH FULL POWER APPLIED. THE PILOT SAID THE CANYON WALLS CLIMBED STEEPLY AND NARROWED RAPIDLY, PREVENTING HIM FROM TURNING BACK OUT OF THE CANYON. THE PLANE NOSED DOWN INTO THE TREES, WEDGED AGAINST A TREE TRUNK, AND CAME TO REST 8 FEET OFF THE GROUND IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. THE PILOT SAID THE RIGHT WING, FUSELAGE AND THE PROPELLER WERE BENT. THE PILOT SAID HE SHOULD HAVE SELECTED A HIGHER ALTITUDE AND NOT FLOWN UP THE CANYON.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Cessna 172 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Dec 1990 | Cessna 172G | Jacksonville, Florida, United States | Weeks, Milton D. | Serious injuries | - |
| 11 Mar 1990 | Cessna 172I | Isabel, South Dakota, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 17 Mar 1990 | Cessna 172G | Rio Hondo, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 6 May 1990 | Cessna 172N | New Richmond, Wisconsin, United States | - | Fatal | 3 |
| 21 Mar 1990 | Cessna 172M | Three Forks, Montana, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 29 Sep 1990 | Cessna 172N | Stokesdale, North Carolina, United States | Martely, James | No injuries | - |
All 12,209 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Apr 1990 | Peterson KIT FOX MODEL 1 | Highwood, Montana, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 8 Apr 1990 | Piper PA-28-140 | Forsyth, Montana, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 18 Apr 1990 | Cessna 172 | Columbia Falls, Montana, United States | Eagle Aviation, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 6 May 1990 | Cessna C-180E | Helena, Montana, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 10 May 1990 | Piper PA-18-150 | Powderville, Montana, United States | W.l. Ranch Co. | No injuries | - |
| 3 Jun 1990 | Piper PA-38-112 | Belgrade, Montana, United States | Sunbird Aviation, Inc. | Serious injuries | - |