Cessna 172K accident near Sandy Valley, Nevada, September 26, 1997
On September 26, 1997, a Cessna 172K, registered N84621, was destroyed in an accident near Sandy Valley, Nevada. It was a personal 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 intentional VFR flight into adverse weather conditions, and his failure to maintain sufficient altitude or clearance from mountainous/hilly terrain. Related factors were: the high/mountainous/hilly terrain, and the adverse weather condition (low ceiling).
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 26, 1997
- Place
- Sandy Valley, Nevada · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172K · all 172Ks on the register
- Registration
- N84621 · no longer on the register · serial 17258549
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot told a witness he had been 'skud-running' and made an earlier stop due to bad weather. He said he was instrument rated, but was not current. At the airport, the weather was estimated to be basic VFR. To the south, however, the sky was obscured with no lateral visibility. The pilot said he was going to fly to an airport north of his position. He did not get a weather briefing before departure. Subsequently, he reported an airport in sight and transmitted that he was descending on approach. The aircraft was found over a week later, about 9 miles southeast of the departure airport. The aircraft was found on the south side of an east-west ridge at about 3,000 feet msl. The off-route obstruction clearance altitude for that area was 8,800 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: 1,900 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 8, 1997
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3L2 NV
- Destination: 61B Boulder City NV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 8 knots
- Sky: overcast; not recorded
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:56 pm from LAS, 32 miles away
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.