Cessna 172M N21704
3 September 1994 · Jackpot, Nevada, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 3 September 1994 at about 09:00 local time, a Cessna 172M registered N21704 was involved in an accident near Jackpot, Nevada, United States. 3 people were on board and one died, 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 09:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Jackpot, Nevada, United States
- Nearest airport
- Jackpot (06U)
- Coordinates
- 41.8799, -114.7797
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M
- Registration
- N21704
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Unknown → Nampa
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Night/Dark
- NTSB number
- LAX94LA349
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
the pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control due to spatial disorientation during a moonless night departure over an area without ground reference lights. A factor in the accident was the pilot's lack of instrument training and experience.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED IN A FIELD 2.5 MILES SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT WITH A WRECKAGE PATH MEASURED OVER 280 FEET LONG. AN AIRPORT SECURITY OFFICER REPORTED THAT HE WAS NEAR THE ADVISORY RADIO USED FOR AIRCRAFT COMMUNICATIONS. HE OBSERVED THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT TAXI OUT FOR DEPARTURE ABOUT 0200. ABOUT 2 MINUTES LATER, THE PILOT REPORTED AIRBORNE SOUTHBOUND AND THAT HE INTENDED TO TURN TO THE NORTH. NO OTHER TRANSMISSIONS WERE HEARD FROM THE PILOT. THE PASSENGER IN THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT HAS NO MEMORY OF THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT. THE PASSENGER IN THE REAR SEAT WAS LYING DOWN ON THE BENCH SEAT AND RECALLS THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBING. SOMETIME AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PASSENGER HEARD A 'POP' SOUND FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY GROUND IMPACT. THE NIGHT WAS DESCRIBED AS DARK WITH NO MOON. THE CASINO AND SMALL SETTLEMENT OF JACKPOT ARE THE ONLY LIGHTED AREAS OUT TO THE HORIZON IN ANY DIRECTION FROM THE AIRPORT. THE NON-INSTRUMENT-RATED PILOT HAD 21 TOTAL HOURS OF NIGHT FLYING EXPERIENCE WITH A TOTAL INSTRUMENT TIME OF 2.5 HOURS. NO DISCREPANCIES WERE NOTED IN THE EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT AND ENGINE.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Cessna 172 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Jun 1994 | Cessna 172N | Lambertville, Michigan, United States | Davis College | Minor injuries | - |
| 21 Jul 1994 | Cessna 172N | Chatham, Massachusetts, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 29 Apr 1994 | Cessna 172P | Hillsboro, Oregon, United States | Eagle Flight Center, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 1 Jul 1994 | Cessna 172B | Shiocton, Wisconsin, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 26 Jul 1994 | Cessna 172A | Block Island, Rhode Island, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 29 May 1994 | Cessna 172M | Lookout Pass, Idaho, United States | St. Maries CAP Aero Club | Serious injuries | - |
All 12,209 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Sep 1994 | North American SNJ-5 | Reno, Nevada, United States | Same AS Registered Owner | Fatal | 1 |
| 24 Sep 1994 | Cessna 182Q | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Stanley A. Lawless | Fatal | 1 |
| 5 May 1994 | Bell 206B | Overton, Nevada, United States | US Army Corps of Engineers | Unknown | - |
| 26 Jun 1994 | Bell 206-B3 | Indian Springs, Nevada, United States | United States Air Force | Unknown | - |
| 1 Nov 1994 | Cessna 421A | Sparks, Nevada, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 3 Dec 1994 | Siai-Marchetti SF260C | North Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |