Cessna 172E accident near Meeteetse, Wyoming, August 20, 2013
On August 20, 2013 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172E, registered N516MA, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (climb to cruise) near Meeteetse, Wyoming. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's inadequate preflight planning and failure to maintain clearance from rising terrain, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of situational awareness.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 20, 2013 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Meeteetse, Wyoming · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172E · all 172Es on the register
- Registration
- N516MA · registry record · serial R172-0174
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that while on a solo cross-country flight she was using dead reckoning through the mountains. The pilot was unsure of her location and as she proceeded to the west, the mountainous terrain became steeper, which required her to ascend from 7,500 feet mean sea level (msl) to 8,500 feet msl. The student stated that being unable to clear the rising terrain in her flight path and unable to turn the airplane around, she elected to make a landing. During the approach a gust of wind hit the right wing, which resulted in the nose landing gear impacting the rocky terrain. The airplane nosed over and sustained substantial damage to both wings and the empennage. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or the engine that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Course deviation during enroute
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during enroute (climb to cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Flight planning/navigation › Student pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Student pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- factor Personnel issues › Psychological › Perception/orientation/illusio › Situational awareness › Student pilot
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 42 hours in all; 35 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 4 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,492 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 21, 2013; 33 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental Motors Inc. IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GEY Greybull WY at 8:13 pm
- Destination: 5U7 Fort Smith MT
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 9:36 pm from COD, 43 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.