Cessna 170B N39HP

Summary

On 28 January 1992 at about 20:30 local time, a Cessna 170B registered N39HP, operated by Howard L. Prescott, was involved in an accident near Austin, Nevada, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

28 January 1992 at 20:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Austin, Nevada, United States

Coordinates

39.4918, -117.0648

Aircraft

Cessna 170B

Registration

N39HP

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Howard L. Prescott

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Battle Mtn → Corona

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX92LA105

1 person died.

THE PILOT'S DELAY IN REVERSING DIRECTION, HIS CONTINUED FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS, HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED AND INADVERTENT STALL WHILE MANEUVERING TO REVERSE DIRECTION. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT CONSISTED OF LOW CEILINGS, SNOW, AND ICING CONDITIONS.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS ON AN INTERMEDIATE SEGMENT OF A BUSINESS RELATED CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT. SOME WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE FOLLOWING A HIGHWAY OVER A 7,500 FOOT MOUNTAIN PASS AT AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 300 FEET AGL. A SNOW STORM WITH VISIBILITY ESTIMATED AT ABOUT 120 FEET WAS IN PROGRESS. OVERCAST CEILINGS WERE ESTIMATED AT ABOUT 500 FEET AGL. AN AIRMET FOR TURBULENCE AND ICING CONDITIONS WAS IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA OF FLIGHT. OTHER WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE MANEUVER OVER THE HIGHWAY, TURN RIGHT AND DESCEND INTO THE TERRAIN.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.