Cessna 172M accident near Wendover, Utah, September 14, 2011
On September 14, 2011 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N9197H, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Wendover, Utah (South Valley airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain for landing, which resulted in a nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 14, 2011 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Wendover, Utah · South Valley · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N9197H · no longer on the register · serial 17266009
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot overflew an off-field landing site multiple times to assess the surface conditions. He observed an area with tire tracks and concluded that the surface was stable enough to perform a landing. He configured the airplane for a soft field landing, with the main landing gear touching the ground first. He reported that the ground felt firm as he lowered the nose; however, as the nosewheel touched the surface, the airplane experienced a sudden deceleration and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and vertical stabilizer during the accident sequence. Postaccident examination of the landing surface revealed that it consisted of soft, wet mud, topped with a shallow dry crust.
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
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa › Soft › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 117 hours in all; 28 in this make and model; 28 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 80 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 11, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,173 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 6, 2010; 84 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: U42 South Valley UT at 8:44 pm
- Destination: Wendover UT
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 9,500 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from SLC, 70 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.