Cessna R172K N758NH
10 August 2008 · Rock Springs, Wyoming, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 10 August 2008 at about 18:23 local time, a Cessna R172K registered N758NH, operated by Franklin Aviation, was involved in an accident near Rock Springs, Wyoming, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 18:23
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Rock Springs, Wyoming, United States
- Nearest airport
- Rock Springs-Sweetwater County (RKS)
- Coordinates
- 41.6583, -109.1353
- Aircraft
- Cessna R172K
- Registration
- N758NH
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Franklin Aviation
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Rock Springs → Rock Springs
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX08FA265
People
3 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The failure of both pilots to see and avoid each other's aircraft.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The Cessna was on a local solo instructional flight while the Cirrus was on an instrument-flight-rules flight plan and clearance to the airport. The Cessna was maneuvering northwest of the airport, and the Cirrus was descending toward the airport from the northwest. The air traffic controller working the flight cleared the Cirrus for a visual approach and advised the pilot to switch to the common traffic advisory frequency. About 2 minutes and 30 seconds before the collision, the controller advised the Cirrus of an aircraft (the Cessna) at his one o'clock position and 10 miles at 9500 feet mean sea level (msl). The Cirrus pilot responded, "thank you," and there was no further contact with the Cirrus. Radar data indicates that for the next 2 minutes, the Cessna maintained a northeasterly heading and climbed to 9,800 feet msl. About 30 seconds before the collision, the Cessna turned approximately 20 to 30 degrees right and continued on that heading, level at 9,800 feet msl. During this same 2 minute and 30 second period, the Cirrus was descending on a heading of about 130 degrees magnetic. The data depict the two airplanes converging perpendicular to one another and colliding about 5 nautical miles northwest of the airport at an altitude of about 9,800 feet msl, or 3,300 feet above the ground. The wreckage of the two airplanes was intermingled and scattered over an area of about 1,400 feet by 1,500 feet. During examination of the wreckage, transfer marks were identified consistent with the radar-derived collision angle. The Cirrus was equipped with a TCAS-like traffic advisory system that would alert the pilot of transponder equipped aircraft that pose a collision threat within a 0.55-mile radius. Based on the radar data, the system, if turned on, should have generated both an oral and visual traffic advisory starting about 30 seconds before and continuing until impact. It could not be determined whether the unit generated an advisory. It is possible that the geometry between the the system's antenna on top of the Cirrus and the transponder antenna on the bottom of the Cessna prevented the system from generating an advisory, but this could not be confirmed. Both airplanes were operating under visual conditions when they collided.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cessna R172K | N758NH | Franklin Aviation | Destroyed |
| Cirrus SR22 | N8341 | - | Destroyed |
Other Cessna R172K accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Jan 2008 | Cessna R172K | Spotsylvania, Virginia, United States | Neil T. Wallace | Minor injuries | - |
| 21 Jun 2008 | Cessna R172K | Goldsby, Oklahoma, United States | Kevin Eggleston | No injuries | - |
| 21 Jun 2008 | Cessna R172K | Big Bear City, California, United States | Harold D. Patterson | No injuries | - |
| 29 Sep 2008 | Cessna R172K | Leadville, Colorado, United States | Alliance Flight Training LLC | Minor injuries | - |
| 13 Jun 2007 | Cessna R172K | Lakewood, Wisconsin, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 10 Jan 2009 | Cessna R172K | Fremont, California, United States | Bronson Mark W | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Jun 2008 | Mooney M20J | Evanston, Wyoming, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 17 Dec 2008 | Cessna 210 | Sheridan, Wyoming, United States | Daleray Madewell | No injuries | - |
| 12 Jan 2008 | Cessna 172M | Pine Bluffs, Wyoming, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 30 Jul 2008 | Fowler SX300 | Cheyenne, Wyoming, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 24 Jun 2008 | Cirrus SR22 | Laramie, Wyoming, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Dec 2008 | Cessna 208B | Rock Springs, Wyoming, United States | Corporate Air | No injuries | - |