Cessna TR182 accident near Thief River Falls, MN
On September 23, 2017, a Cessna TR182 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Thief River Falls, MN. 3 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- September 23, 2017
- Place
- Thief River Falls, MN
- Aircraft
- Cessna TR182 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 3 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 48.065°N, 96.257°W
- NTSB ID
- 20170923X20932
Official records · CEN17FA361
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn September 23, 2017, about 0742 central daylight time, a Cessna TR182 airplane, N4777T, impacted terrain about 3 miles west of Thief River Falls Regional Airport (TVF), Thief River Falls, Minnesota. The private pilot and two passengers were fatally injured, and the airplane was destroyed. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight, which departed from TVF at 0738 and was en route to Rawlins Municipal Airport (RWL), Rawlins, Wyoming. Several individuals who spoke to the pilot in the days preceding the accident stated that he had flown the same passengers from RWL to TVF on September 17, 2017. The pilot stated to one individual that he descended through the clouds on approach to TVF that day. The pilot returned to RWL, then flew back to TVF the day before the accident to retrieve the passengers. After landing, the pilot asked the local fixed base operator (FBO) owner about obtaining a local sectional aeronautical chart, but the FBO did not have any charts for sale. The FBO owner later found an expired chart that the pilot accepted. A taxi driver who transported the pilot from TVF to a local hotel stated that the pilot described the flight as "terrible," because he flew at 1,500 ft above ground level (agl) under a cloud layer. A hotel employee stated that the pilot checked into the hotel at 1655. He spoke to the pilot and passengers the following mor
Probable cause
The noninstrument-rated pilot's decision to depart into instrument meteorological conditions, and his subsequent loss of control due to spatial disorientation.
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Browse: Minnesota · 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.
