Cessna 172N N739XX

Summary

On 18 September 1989 at about 07:30 local time, a Cessna 172N registered N739XX, operated by France Flying Service, Inc, was involved in an accident near Afton, Wyoming, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

18 September 1989 at 07:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Afton, Wyoming, United States

Coordinates

42.7202, -110.9202

Aircraft

Cessna 172N

Registration

N739XX

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

France Flying Service, Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Pocatello → Rawlins

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

DEN89FA222

2 people died.

THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT'S CONTINUED FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC) AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE TO CLEAR THE TERRAIN. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARKNESS, ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND RISING/MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

AS THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PLT WAS RETURNING FROM A X-COUNTRY FLT AT NIGHT, THE ACFT CRASHED ON RISING TERRAIN. IMPACT OCCURRED AT AN ELEVATION OF ABOUT 10,300 FT, NEAR THE TOP OF A MTN RIDGE. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THERE WAS A FAST MOVING COLD FRONT IN THE AREA WITH TSTMS. ABOUT 30 MI SE AT ROCK SPRINGS, WY, THE WX WAS IN PART: 1300 FT BROKEN, 5 MI VIS WITH RAIN, WIND FM 280 DEG AT 17 GUSTING 22 KTS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.