Cessna 175 N7360M

Summary

On 12 November 2000 at about 16:30 local time, a Cessna 175 registered N7360M was involved in an accident near Hanksville, Utah, United States. 3 people were on board and one died, 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

12 November 2000 at 16:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Hanksville, Utah, United States

Coordinates

38.2710, -110.7499

Aircraft

Cessna 175

Registration

N7360M

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Other Work Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN01FA013

1 person died.

the pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane while maneuvering at low altitude, and his physical impairment due to alcohol and drugs. A contributing factor was the downdraft.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Several friends volunteered to help the pilot locate stray cattle. According to a surviving passenger, the pilot flew the airplane toward some cowboys on horseback waiting on a bluff with the intention of dropping a message containing directions to some strays. As the airplane approached the bluff approximately 100 feet above the terrain, it suddenly sank 'like we hit a downdraft,' and the pilot banked hard to the right to avoid the bluff. The airplane encountered another downdraft, dropped 30 to 40 feet, and struck a rocky slope. The airplane had not received an annual inspection since May 1, 1995, the ELT batteries expired on March 31, 1995, and the pilot's last medical certificate was issued February 27, 1995. According to the toxicology reports, the pilot tested positive for alcohol, barbiturates, and quinine.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.