Cessna 172 accident near Tooele, Utah, June 6, 2017
On June 6, 2017 at about 10:15 pm local time, a 2008 Cessna 172, registered N741TW, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR go-around) near Tooele, Utah (Bolinder Field-Tooele Valley). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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 student pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during an attempted go-around, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 6, 2017 · about 10:15 pm local time
- Place
- Tooele, Utah · Bolinder Field-Tooele Valley · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 S, built 2008 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N741TW · no longer on the register · serial 172S10117
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The solo student pilot reported that, during landing, the airplane "ballooned up and [he] added a little throttle [to] settle the [airplane]." He added that "the [airplane] seemed to settle but felt like it was coming down too fast." He applied full power to go around and reduced the flaps to 20°. He added that "the [airplane] was stalling and so [he] moved the flaps to 0 degrees, which caused the plane to continue to stall." Subsequently, the airplane impacted the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and empennage. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane 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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during approach (VFR go-around) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Capability exceeded
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 73 hours in all; 73 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 2 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,471.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 24, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 2,558 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 555 hours total
- Operator: Upper Limit Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: SLC Salt Lake City UT at 8:30 pm
- Destination: TVY Tooele UT
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 35, 6,100 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 10:10 pm from KTVY
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on December 6, 2017. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.