Cessna 172I accident near Donnelly, Idaho, July 24, 1992
On July 24, 1992, a Cessna 172I, registered N27JF, was substantially damaged in an accident near Donnelly, Idaho (Donnelly airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED AFTER TAKEOFF WHILE USING IMPROPER OBSTACLE TAKEOFF PROCEDURES. FACTORS INCLUDE EXCESSIVE FLAP EXTENSION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 24, 1992
- Place
- Donnelly, Idaho · Donnelly · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172I · all 172Is on the register
- Registration
- N27JF · registry record · serial 17257094
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PRIVATE PILOT INITIATED A TAKEOFF FROM A SOD RUNWAY AT 4860 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL WITH THE MIXTURE CONTROL IN THE RICH POSITION AND THE FLAPS EXTENDED TWENTY DEGREES. TREES ARE LOCATED AT THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY, BUT THEY CAN BE AVOIDED BY A SLIGHT RIGHT TURN AFTER TAKEOFF, WHICH ALLOWS FLYING OVER A RIVER. THE AIRCRAFT OWNER'S MANUAL STATES THAT NORMAL AND OBSTACLE CLEARANCE TAKEOFFS ARE PERFORMED WITH WING FLAPS UP, BUT DOES PROVIDE FOR USE OF TEN DEGREES OF FLAPS FOR TAKEOFFS WITH NO OBSTACLES AHEAD. A WITNESS OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT LIFTING OFF IN A STALL CONFIGURATION, CLIMBING NO HIGHER THAN THE TREES BEFORE THE LEFT WING DROPPED AND IT CRASHED IN A FIELD ADJACENT TO THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY.
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
What happened, in order
- LOSS OF CONTROL - IN FLIGHT during takeoff - initial climb
- IN FLIGHT COLLISION WITH TERRAIN/WATER during descent - uncontrolled
Pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land, none, none, none
- Flight time: 117 hours in all; 11 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 61 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: class 2
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,627 hours
- Last inspection: type not recorded, July 1, 1992; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Idaho Transportation Serv. INC
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Departed from: U84
- Destination: S67 Nampa ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,500 ft by 125 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 2 knots
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 61°C, dew point 43°C
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number SEA92FA161.