Cessna 172G accident near Tonopah, Nevada, July 3, 1992
On July 3, 1992 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172G, registered N4417L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tonopah, Nevada (Dirt Field). 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO ADEQUATELY IDENTIFY AND COMPENSATE FOR THE EXISTING TAILWIND CONDITIONS, AND, HIS FAILURE TO INITIATE A GO AROUND WHEN HE BECAME AWARE OF BEING HIGH WITH A FAST GROUND SPEED.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 3, 1992 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Tonopah, Nevada · Dirt Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172G · all 172Gs on the register
- Registration
- N4417L · no longer on the register · serial 17254504
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE PLANNED TO LAND IN A FARM FIELD TO SURVEY SOME FARM LAND PRIOR TO BIDDING ON A GRAIN HARVESTING JOB. HE STATED THAT AFTER ARRIVING IN THE AREA HE OVERFLEW THE FIELD SELECTED FOR THE LANDING SEVERAL TIMES LOOKING FOR OBSTRUCTIONS AND SOME WAY TO IDENTIFY THE WIND DIRECTION. IN HIS STATEMENT HE INDICATED THAT HE FOUND NO MEANS TO IDENTIFY THE WIND DIRECTION OR SPEED AND ESTIMATED IT TO BE CALM OR NEARLY SO. DURING THE FINAL APPROACH TO THE FIELD THE PILOT SAID HE NOTICED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS HIGH AND HAD AN APPARENT FAST GROUND SPEED, HOWEVER, HE ELECTED NOT TO PERFORM A GO AROUND. AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRCRAFT COULD NOT STOP PRIOR TO THE END OF THE FIELD AND IT COLLIDED WITH A POWER POLE AND ROUGH TERRAIN. THE PILOT SAID THAT AFTER THE ACCIDENT HE NOTICED THAT HE HAD LANDED WITH A TAILWIND HE ESTIMATED AT ABOUT 10 KNOTS.
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
- Flight time: 210 hours in all; 72 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 160 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,513 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 18, 1992; 47 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CDC Cedar City UT at 3:00 pm
- Destination: FLX Fallon NV
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 9 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
Other NTSB records under N4417L the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.