Cessna 172 accident near Montrose, Colorado, February 16, 2005
On February 16, 2005 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N3985F, was destroyed in an accident near Montrose, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's improper in-flight planning during the descent which resulted in partial loss of engine power due to carburetor ice. Contributing factors were the pilot's failure to select carburetor heat during the descent and unsuitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 16, 2005 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Montrose, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N3985F · no longer on the register · serial 36885
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While descending near a mountain canyon area, the engine lost partial power and the pilot initiated an emergency landing into an area of trees. The pilot stated that the engine had lost approximately seventy-five percent of its power and that he was too far into a canyon to reverse course. He then attempted an emergency landing into an area of trees, and subsequently, the airplane stalled and impacted the snow covered terrain. In addition, the pilot stated that "the aircraft did not have a lot of power to begin with and he has had icing problems in the past...he [believed] that icing is what caused his loss of power." According to the "Carburetor Icing Probability Chart," the atmospheric conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to "Serious Icing at Cruise Power." A review of the wreckage revealed the carburetor heat was found in the OFF position.
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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,700 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 4,700 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 31, 2005
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IFP Bullhead City AZ at 7:00 pm
- Destination: MTJ Montrose CO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 10:08 pm from MTJ, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.