Cessna 172E accident near Salt Lake City, Utah, December 16, 2000
On December 16, 2000 at about 7:10 pm local time, a Cessna 172E, registered N96024, was substantially damaged in an accident near Salt Lake City, Utah. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing. A factor was a total power loss due to a connecting rod failure.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 16, 2000 · about 7:10 pm local time
- Place
- Salt Lake City, Utah
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172E · all 172Es on the register
- Registration
- N96024 · registry record · serial 172-0148
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During cruise flight, the engine lost all power due to a connecting rod failure and the flight instructor attempted to land the aircraft on a road. Due to a vehicle on the road, the flight instructor steered the aircraft into a field during landing roll and the aircraft struck some rocks causing damage to the main landing gear mounting structure. The reason for the connecting rod failure could not be determined due to secondary damage.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 550 hours in all; 175 in this make and model; 230 in the last 90 days; 85 in the last 30 days; 510 as pilot in command; 80 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,587 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 8, 1999; 177 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-360D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BTF Bountiful UT at 6:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 97°F (36°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:56 pm from SLC, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.