Cessna 172 N6445B

Summary

On 19 January 2000 at about 03:00 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N6445B was involved in an accident near Tooele, Utah, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

19 January 2000 at 03:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Tooele, Utah, United States

Nearest airport

Bolinder Field (TVY)

Coordinates

40.5701, -112.3309

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N6445B

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

DEN00LA046

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot's failure to correct the descent, and his failure to maintain a visual lookout. Factors were the pilot's improper weather evaluation, his lack of recent experience in type of operation, his inadvertent encounter with instrument meteorological conditions at night, fog, and rising terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot said that the purpose of the flight was to make three takeoffs and landings to obtain recent night flying experience. He determined that the weather conditions were suitable for VFR flight. He took off on runway 34 and during the climbout, he encountered fog. He made a 180 degree turn and started a gradual descent. When he was abeam the midfield point, he began to see runway lights. When he was abeam the threshold of the approach end of the runway, he flew out of the fog. The descent continued on the downwind leg and the airplane collided with rising terrain at a point where a turn onto base leg would commence.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.