Cessna 172 accident near Powell, Wyoming, July 24, 2017
On July 24, 2017 at about 4:30 pm local time, a 1959 Cessna 172, registered N6470E, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Powell, Wyoming (Powell Muni airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot’s improper landing flare and subsequent failure to relinquish the flight controls, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 24, 2017 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Powell, Wyoming · Powell Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 UNDESIGNAT, built 1959 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N6470E · registry record · serial 46570
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor reported that, during the landing flare about 20 ft above the runway, the student pilot "froze" at the flight controls. She added that she told the student pilot, "Add power – too high," but the student did not respond. The student pilot "hung on" to the flight controls, "forcing [the] instructor to push full power and physically [take the] airplane." Subsequently, the airplane landed hard, and the left wing impacted the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions 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
- Miscellaneous/other during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 20,054 hours in all; 4,750 in this make and model; 27 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 19,054 as pilot in command; 8,780 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 2, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 280 hours in all; 275 in this make and model; 34 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 20 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 1, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-300 SER (piston); 9,103 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: COD Cody WY at 3:30 pm
- Destination: POY Powell WY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 6,200 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 3:56 pm from KCOD, 23 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number GAA17CA437.