Cessna 177RG accident near Thompson, UT
On August 20, 1995, a Cessna 177RG (airplane) was involved in an accident near Thompson, UT. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- August 20, 1995
- Place
- Thompson, UT
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177RG · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 39.180°N, 109.490°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001207X04385
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On August 20, 1995, about 0840 mountain daylight time, N1930Q, a Cessna 177RG, operated by the owner/pilot, impacted mountainous terrain during descent and was destroyed near Thompson, Utah. The private pilot was fatally injured, and his passenger received minor injuries. Marginal visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed. The personal flight departed from Provo, Utah, and was destined for Grand Junction, Colorado. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR 91. According to the surviving passenger: ... the pilot...decided to divert to Rangely, CO to avoid bad weather encountered in the Grand Jct. area. [The pilot] turned the plane towards Rangely which was visible northeast of our present location. We suddenly encountered severe clear air turbulence and rapidly lost altitude. Our altitude at the time of the turn was 10,500 feet [msl]. The loss of altitude was so sudden and severe that my body was straining against my seat belt. I could see vapor condense in the vortices on the nose and canopy. The noise was similar to a jet engine at full throttle. The pilot and I had no time to communicate before we dropped into a cloud bank and impacted with the ground. The passenger stated that he did not perceive any mechanical deficiencies with the airplane. According to five ground witnesses, who were at a hunting camp near the accident site, the airplane was flying between 300 feet and 500 feet above the ground just prior to the accident. One of the witnesses, located about 300 yards from the accident site, stated that he observed the a
Probable cause
the pilot's continued flight into instrument meteorological conditions, and his failure to maintain altitude and clearance from the mountainous terrain. Factors contributing to the accident were the fog, low ceilings, and downdraft.
More accidents in UT
- Beech A100, Aug 22, 2008
- Swearingen SA-226TC, Jan 15, 1987
- Beech 65-A90, Jan 15, 2001
- Cessna T210L, May 7, 1995
- Gulfstream 690D, May 7, 1986
Browse: Utah · Cessna aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
