Cessna 175 accident near Garden Valley, Idaho, November 13, 1999
On November 13, 1999 at about 8:15 pm local time, a Cessna 175, registered N7164M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Garden Valley, Idaho (Deadwood Dam airport). 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
An improper in-flight decision by the pilot-in-command to attempt a landing at a confined-area airstrip which was beyond his piloting capabilities, and his subsequent failure to take adequate remedial action upon encountering a downdraft. Related factors were the downdraft and lack of total experience in confined area landings.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 13, 1999 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- Garden Valley, Idaho · Deadwood Dam · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 175 · all 175s on the register
- Registration
- N7164M · no longer on the register · serial 55464
- 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 clearing trees on final approach, the airplane began to settle, then entered a rapid sink rate and touched down hard on all three landing gear. The airplane bounced twice, and on the third touchdown, the nose gear strut collapsed and the airplane slid on its nose before coming to rest. The pilot stated he believed that the airplane 'entered a wind sheer [sic] or down draft' after clearing the trees on final. Data on the airstrip obtained from the Internet and attributed to the FAA indicate that the airstrip (which is located in remote and rugged terrain) is maintained for government use only by the U.S. Forest Service, is recommended for emergency use only, and that only light planes piloted by experienced pilots should attempt to use the airstrip. The pilot-in-command, a private pilot, had accumulated approximately 193 hours total flight time (including about 2 hours in make and model) and did not have a current flight review. The landing attempt was not due to an emergency, but was made (according to the second pilot) 'due in part to the good weather conditions and light fuel load.'
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: 193 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 193 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,778 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 6, 1999; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental GO-300-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S81 Indian Creek ID
- Destination: 66U Deadwood Dam ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 5, 1,800 ft by 50 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:50 pm from MYL, 38 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.