Cessna 172D accident near Mountain Home, Idaho, September 19, 2004
On September 19, 2004 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172D, registered N2650U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mountain Home, Idaho. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from high terrain while maneuvering. High terrain was a factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 19, 2004 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Mountain Home, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172D · all 172Ds on the register
- Registration
- N2650U · no longer on the register · serial 17250250
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A witness observed the aircraft flying low to the ground, very aggressively and pulling up steeply back down into the canyon. The aircraft was found on the side of mountainous terrain. Impact signatures indicate that the aircraft collided with the rising terrain on its nose then slid uphill a short distance before coming to rest nose down up against a rock wall. The engine separated and was several hundred feet below the main wreckage in the valley. The propeller blades were severely damaged. On site inspection of the airframe and engine did not reveal evidence of a mechanical failure or malfunction. The owner of the aircraft reported that the pilot took the aircraft without authorization. Toxicological testing detected multiple medications, including an antipsychotic medication, two prescription "mood stabilizing" medications used in the treatment of bipolar disorder (manic depression), and a much higher than expected blood level of a prescription antidepressant.
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: 634 hours in all
- Last flight review: November 2, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,562 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 8, 2004; 74 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: U76 Mountain Home ID at 10:00 pm
- Destination: U76
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.61 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from BOI, 37 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.
Other NTSB records under N2650U 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.