Cessna 172 accident near Yellow Pine, Idaho, June 9, 2019
On June 9, 2019 at about 5:00 pm local time, a 1965 Cessna 172, registered N5344R, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Yellow Pine, Idaho (Shearer /Usfs airport). It was a personal 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 pilot's improper approach, which resulted in the airplane touching down with insufficient runway remaining to stop on the runway, a runway overrun, and subsequent collision with bushes and terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 9, 2019 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Yellow Pine, Idaho · Shearer /Usfs · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 F, built 1965 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N5344R · registry record · serial 17252872
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, after touchdown, he realized that he was not going to be able to stop the airplane before the end of the runway and that aborting the landing was not an option because he did not believe that the airplane would clear trees at the end of the runway. The pilot chose to run the airplane off the end of the runway, and the airplane subsequently struck bushes and impacted terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot 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
- Runway excursion during landing
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 689 hours in all; 688 in this make and model; 42 in the last 90 days; 26 in the last 30 days; 623 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 22, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,808.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 24, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-360-A4M (piston); 298 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1U1 Moose Creek Ranger Station ID at 4:30 pm
- Destination: 3U2 Yellow Pine ID
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 18, 2,000 ft by 15 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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 June 26, 2020. 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 Photos | PDF, 2 pages | 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.