Cessna 172K N172NS

Summary

On 6 January 1996 at about 20:30 local time, a Cessna 172K registered N172NS was involved in an accident near Park City, Montana, United States. 2 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.

Date

6 January 1996 at 20:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Park City, Montana, United States

Coordinates

45.6497, -108.9697

Aircraft

Cessna 172K

Registration

N172NS

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Laurel → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA96LA041

Nobody was injured.

Inadequate visual lookout by the pilot, and his failure to maintain sufficient altitude/clearance from the transmission line.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that while flying approximately 100 feet above the ground, with higher terrain on both sides of the aircraft, he 'heard something strike the aircraft.' He stated that neither he nor his passenger 'had seen any obstacles that may have hit the plane.' The pilot stated that he then returned directly to Laurel, Montana, and landed without further incident. Post-flight inspection of the aircraft revealed an 8-inch-deep gash into the vertical stabilizer, from the leading edge straight back into the stabilizer, and a radio antenna on the top of the aircraft broken back at its base. The pilot stated the opinion in his accident report that 'by the nature of the damage...it was a wire strike that occurred,' and that he believed 'this accident was a result of failure on my part to maintain sufficient altitude.'

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.