Cessna 175 accident near Hanksville, Utah, November 12, 2000
On November 12, 2000 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Cessna 175, registered N7360M, was destroyed in an accident near Hanksville, Utah. It was an other work-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane while maneuvering at low altitude, and his physical impairment due to alcohol and drugs. A contributing factor was the downdraft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 12, 2000 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Hanksville, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 175 · all 175s on the register
- Registration
- N7360M · no longer on the register · serial 55660
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Several friends volunteered to help the pilot locate stray cattle. According to a surviving passenger, the pilot flew the airplane toward some cowboys on horseback waiting on a bluff with the intention of dropping a message containing directions to some strays. As the airplane approached the bluff approximately 100 feet above the terrain, it suddenly sank 'like we hit a downdraft,' and the pilot banked hard to the right to avoid the bluff. The airplane encountered another downdraft, dropped 30 to 40 feet, and struck a rocky slope. The airplane had not received an annual inspection since May 1, 1995, the ELT batteries expired on March 31, 1995, and the pilot's last medical certificate was issued February 27, 1995. According to the toxicology reports, the pilot tested positive for alcohol, barbiturates, and quinine.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,000 hours in all; 75 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,929 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 1995; 303 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE at 4:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.