Cessna 172 accident near Salmon, Idaho, November 8, 2016
On November 8, 2016 at about 8:25 pm local time, a 1977 Cessna 172, registered N737MY, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Salmon, Idaho (Soldier Bar Usfs airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The airplane's encounter with a depression in a dirt runway during takeoff, which resulted in a tail strike.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 8, 2016 · about 8:25 pm local time
- Place
- Salmon, Idaho · Soldier Bar Usfs · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 N, built 1977 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N737MY · registry record · serial 17269533
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during takeoff on a dirt runway he rotated the airplane and as it "went through a dip in the airstrip" he felt a "thump" [tail strike]. The pilot further reported that the airplane became airborne and he continued the flight uneventfully. During a postflight inspection, it was revealed that the airplane sustained substantial damage to the bulkhead and lower skin of the tail cone. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Abnormal runway contact during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › (general) › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,447 hours in all; 782 in this make and model; 130 in the last 90 days; 45 in the last 30 days; 1,330 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 12, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,885.3 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 4, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 4,672 hours total
- Operator: Mccall Aviation INC
The flight
- Departed from: 85U Salmon ID at 8:25 pm
- Destination: I08 Big Creek Ranger Station ID
- Runway 07, 1,650 ft by 15 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.36 inHg
- Observation at 9:55 pm from KSMN, 39 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.