Cessna 177RG accident near Thompson, Utah, August 20, 1995
On August 20, 1995 at about 2:40 pm local time, a Cessna 177RG, registered N1930Q, was destroyed in an accident near Thompson, Utah. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's continued flight into instrument meteorological conditions, and his failure to maintain altitude and clearance from the mountainous terrain. Factors contributing to the accident were the fog, low ceilings, and downdraft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 20, 1995 · about 2:40 pm local time
- Place
- Thompson, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177RG · all 177RGs on the register
- Registration
- N1930Q · no longer on the register · serial 177RG0330
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The non-instrument rated private pilot noticed low clouds and fog ahead of him as he flew over mountainous terrain towards his destination. He decided to divert to another airport due to the worsening weather conditions. As he maneuvered the airplane around the mountainous terrain and attempted to stay below the clouds, he inadvertently encountered low clouds and a downdraft near the leeward side of a mountain ridge. The airplane collided with terrain. Ground witnesses observed the airplane flying in close proximity to the ground and in the vicinity of low clouds and fog immediately prior to the accident.
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: 600 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (invalid medical for flight)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: UT Provo UT at 1:40 pm
- Destination: GJT Grand Junction CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 120 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 9,500 ft; scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:50 pm from GJT, 30 miles away
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.
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.