Cessna 172 accident near Glenn'S Ferry, Idaho, July 5, 1986
On July 5, 1986 at about 5:10 am local time, a Cessna 172, registered N1641F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Glenn'S Ferry, Idaho (Glenns Ferry airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. 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
- July 5, 1986 · about 5:10 am local time
- Place
- Glenn'S Ferry, Idaho · Glenns Ferry · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N1641F · no longer on the register · serial 17255036
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STUDENT PILOT HAD TO BE VECTORED DURING A NIGHT X-COUNTRY. DURING CRUISE, 35 MILES FROM HIS DESTINATION, HE BECAME CONCERNED ABOUT HIS LOW FUEL STATE. HE THEN DIVERTED, WITH ATC ASSISTANCE TO AN UNLIT AIRSTRIP FOR LANDING. THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN SHORT OF THE RWY AND NOSED OVER.
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: student
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 180 hours in all; 50 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,423 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 16, 1985
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SVE Susanville CA
- Destination: 6S5 Hamilton MT
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0, 3,200 ft by 190 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 260° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 900 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:55 am from MUO, 22 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.