Cessna R172K accident near Pocatello, Idaho, August 17, 1992
On August 17, 1992, a Cessna R172K, registered N736PS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pocatello, Idaho (Pocatello airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
AN UNDETERMINED LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. A FACTOR TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: AN IN FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION DELAY.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 17, 1992
- Place
- Pocatello, Idaho · Pocatello · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna R172K · all R172Ks on the register
- Registration
- N736PS · no longer on the register · serial R1722686
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB, THE AIRPLANE ATTAINED AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET AGL WHEN THE ENGINE LOST PARTIAL POWER AND THE CFI NOTED A LOW FUEL FLOW. THE CFI ORDERED THE SECOND PILOT TO REDUCE POWER, WHICH THE PILOT DID. THE CFI THEN DECIDED THAT THERE WASN'T SUFFICIENT ROOM LEFT TO LAND ON THE REMAINING RUNWAY AND ORDERED THE SECOND PILOT TO ADD FULL THROTTLE AND ACTIVATE THE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP TO TRY AND RESTORE POWER TO GO-AROUND. THE CFI TOOK OVER THE CONTROLS AND MADE A RIGHT TURN AWAY FROM THE RUNWAY. POWER WAS NOT RESTORED AND THE CFI MADE A FORCED LANDING OFF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN IN A GRASSY AREA BETWEEN RUNWAYS, TRAVELLED ACROSS ANOTHER RUNWAY AND COLLIDED WITH A DITCH ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST INVERTED. DURING THE POST-CRASH INSPECTION, THE ENGINE WAS PREPARED FOR AN ENGINE RUN. THE ENGINE STARTED IMMEDIATELY AND WAS RUN FOR SEVERAL MINUTES, WITH NO INDICATION OF A MECHANICAL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,171 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 143 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 1,904 as pilot in command; 931 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,008 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 1, 1991; 308 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-360-K (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Pocatello Avcenter INC
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 9,056 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 6,500 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| 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.
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.