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).
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 November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 24, 1992 · cases in 1992
- Place
- Donnelly, Idaho · Donnelly · cases near this airport · 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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- 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 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,627 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, 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
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°F (16°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N27JF on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 172 Skyhawk 20,680 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,684 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D 258 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Donald D Coski Memorial · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Idaho 1,535 since 1982 · 288 in the last ten years
- Idaho 4,199 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/SEA92FA161.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.