Cessna 170B accident near Austin, Nevada, January 28, 1992
On January 28, 1992 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Cessna 170B, registered N39HP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Austin, Nevada. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S DELAY IN REVERSING DIRECTION, HIS CONTINUED FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS, HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED AND INADVERTENT STALL WHILE MANEUVERING TO REVERSE DIRECTION. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT CONSISTED OF LOW CEILINGS, SNOW, AND ICING CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 28, 1992 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Austin, Nevada · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170B · all 170Bs on the register
- Registration
- N39HP · no longer on the register · serial 25819
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS ON AN INTERMEDIATE SEGMENT OF A BUSINESS RELATED CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT. SOME WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE FOLLOWING A HIGHWAY OVER A 7,500 FOOT MOUNTAIN PASS AT AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 300 FEET AGL. A SNOW STORM WITH VISIBILITY ESTIMATED AT ABOUT 120 FEET WAS IN PROGRESS. OVERCAST CEILINGS WERE ESTIMATED AT ABOUT 500 FEET AGL. AN AIRMET FOR TURBULENCE AND ICING CONDITIONS WAS IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA OF FLIGHT. OTHER WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE MANEUVER OVER THE HIGHWAY, TURN RIGHT AND DESCEND INTO THE TERRAIN.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,800 hours in all
- Medical certificate: None (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,652 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 24, 1992; 7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-145-2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BAM Battle Mtn NV at 7:17 pm
- Destination: L66 Corona CA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 7 knots
- Sky: overcast at 500 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.