Cessna 172R accident near Missoula, MT
On July 1, 2021, a Cessna 172R (airplane) was involved in an accident near Missoula, MT. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- July 1, 2021
- Place
- Missoula, MT
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172R · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 46.840°N, 114.286°W
- NTSB ID
- 20210701103399
Official records · WPR21FA258
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On July 1, 2021, about 1149 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 172R airplane, N2388L, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Missoula International Airport (MSO), Missoula, Montana. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot did not file a Federal Aviation Administration flight plan or inform family members of the airplane’s destination. Recorded air traffic control audio captured the pilot receiving a clearance for a departure on runway 26. The pilot read back the clearance. No additional communication between the pilot and the controller was recorded. Automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data captured the first 5 minutes 48 seconds of the flight. The data revealed that the airplane departed MSO about 1141 and proceeded on a southwesterly heading at a groundspeed of about 70 to 75 knots. About 3 minutes later, the airplane initiated a right turn onto a westerly heading toward the Grave Creek Mountain Range, climbed to an altitude of 3,850 ft mean sea level (msl), and maintained a groundspeed of about 70 to 75 knots. At 1143:56, the airplane’s groundspeed decreased to about 68 knots and remained at that speed until the end of the recorded data 3 minutes 23 seconds later. The last recorded ADS-B target, at 1147:19, showed that the airplane was at an altitude of 5,225 ft msl (678 ft above ground level), on a magnetic heading of 271°, and about 3.3 miles east of the accident site. See figure 1. The terrain elevation
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed and exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall at an altitude too low for recovery.
More accidents in MT
- Pilatus PC-12/45, Mar 22, 2009
- Beech D18S, Jul 5, 1987
- Cessna 550, Dec 18, 1992
- Beech V35B, Jun 24, 1982
- Cessna 182C, May 12, 2007
Browse: Montana · 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.
