Cessna 172 - M accident near Hardin, Montana, October 21, 2013
On October 21, 2013 at about 2:00 pm local time, a 1975 Cessna 172 - M, registered N80257, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Hardin, Montana. It was a personal 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
A rough-running engine and partial loss of power, which resulted from the pilot’s failure to use carburetor heat appropriately while operating in an area conducive to carburetor icing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 21, 2013 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Hardin, Montana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 - M M, built 1975 · all 172 - Ms on the register
- Registration
- N80257 · no longer on the register · serial 17266482
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, during cruise flight, the engine began running roughly. He began troubleshooting the problem and turned on the carburetor heat but only for a few seconds. The pilot's attempts to restore full engine power were unsuccessful, so he chose to initiate an emergency landing to a field. During the landing flare, the airplane encountered a wind gust, which pitched the airplane's nose down. The nose gear dug into the soil, and the airplane nosed over. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Weather conditions in the area at the time of the accident were conducive to the formation of carburetor icing at cruise power. It is likely that the pilot did not apply carburetor heat long enough to prevent the accumulation of carburetor icing, which caused the engine to run roughly and lose partial power.
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
- Loss of engine power (partial) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during enroute (cruise)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incomplete action › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Contributed to outcome
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Ice/rain protection system › Intake anti › ice, deice › Incorrect use/operation
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 677 hours in all; 270 in this make and model; 108 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 639 as pilot in command; 212 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 9, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,009 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 9, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 2,299 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 3,009 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 00F Broadus MT at 1:30 pm
- Destination: BIL Billings MT
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 11 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 12,000 ft; scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from BIL, 34 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.