Cessna 172 N7904G

Summary

On 27 February 2020 at about 16:15 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N7904G was involved in an accident near Dubois, Idaho, 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

27 February 2020 at 16:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Dubois, Idaho, United States

Nearest airport

Dubois Muni (U41)

Coordinates

44.1622, -112.2206

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N7904G

Category

Airplane

Year built

1970

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Rexburg → Rexburg

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR20CA095

Nobody was injured.

The student pilot's failure to maintain a proper airspeed and descent rate while conducting a low pass over a snow-covered runway after encountering a downdraft and the flight instructor's delayed action, which resulted in the wheels contacting the snow and the airplane nosing over. 

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor reported that, during the instructional flight, the student was making a low pass over the snow-covered runway when the airplane encountered a downdraft that decreased the airspeed and increased the descent rate. The instructor reported that he was too relaxed and should have added power at that moment but didn't. The wheels contacted the snow, and the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings. The instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.