Cessna 172P accident near Winthrop, Washington, January 31, 1983
On January 31, 1983 at about 5:56 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N52243, was substantially damaged in an accident near Winthrop, Washington. It was an aerial observation flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 31, 1983 · about 5:56 pm local time
- Place
- Winthrop, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N52243 · no longer on the register · serial 172 74453
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRCRAFT WAS CRASH-LANDED IN THE SNOW AFTER THE PILOT FLEW INTO A BOX CANYON. THE PILOT WAS FOLLOWING A HIGHWAY OVERSNOW COVERED TERRAIN AND TOOK A WRONG TURN. BY THE TIME THE ERROR WAS REALIZED, IT WAS TOO LATE TO REVERSE COURSE OR CLIMB OUT. A FORCED LANDING WAS EXECUTED INTO A SNOW FIELD.
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: 88 hours in all; 17 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 54 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 920 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 31, 1982; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Galvin Flying Service, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: OMK Omak WA at 4:30 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 10 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°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 N52243 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.