Cessna 172N accident near Pahrump, Nevada, September 21, 2003
On September 21, 2003 at about 6:05 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N6548D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pahrump, Nevada. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 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 pilot's failure to maintain altitude/clearance from the mountainous terrain while maneuvering, which resulted in an in-flight collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 21, 2003 · about 6:05 pm local time
- Place
- Pahrump, Nevada · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N6548D · registry record · serial 17272857
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane collided with rising terrain while maneuvering to gain altitude shortly after departure. After an uneventful departure, the airplane approached a mountain range, and the pilot opted to execute a 360-degree turn in an effort to gain altitude. While turning, he noticed a significant downdraft, and despite the continuous use of full throttle, the airplane was unable to climb. He attempted to maneuver the airplane to avoid contacting terrain, but the airplane descended about 250 feet per minute and impacted the terrain. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane. He thought that the accident could have been prevented if he had maneuvered the airplane away from mountainous terrain. With the temperature and pressure from the nearest reporting station, the density altitude was calculated to be in excess of 4,800 feet.
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 246 hours in all; 12 in this make and model; 98 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 191 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 16, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,921 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 3, 2003; 28 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Skyschool, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: NV74 Pahrump NV at 6:00 pm
- Destination: VGT North Las Vegas NV
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from VGT, 40 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 LAX03LA294.