Cessna 172 accident near Sun River, Oregon, January 20, 2020
On January 20, 2020 at about 7:25 pm local time, a 1976 Cessna 172, registered N73707, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Sun River, Oregon (Sunriver airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll on a runway with icy patches, which resulted in impact with a snowbank and a subsequent nose-over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 20, 2020 · about 7:25 pm local time
- Place
- Sun River, Oregon · Sunriver · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 N, built 1976 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N73707 · registry record · serial 17267620
- 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, after an uneventful cross-country flight, the airplane landed smoothly on the runway and started to veer left. The pilot added right rudder, but the airplane continued to veer left. He aborted the landing by applying full engine power and continued to apply right rudder, but the airplane exited the left side of the runway, impacted a snowbank, and nosed over. The pilot reported that the runway was coated in icy patches. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane 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
- Loss of control on ground during landing defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (landing roll)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Snow/slush/ice covered surface › Effect on operation
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Snow/ice › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 152 hours in all; 151 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 108 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 18, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,712 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 11, 2020; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Leading Edge Aviation, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: BDN Bend OR at 8:05 pm
- Destination: S21 Sun River OR
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 18, 5,461 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 8,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 41°F (5°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 7:30 pm from KS21
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on March 10, 2020. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo Array-accident Site | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.