Cessna 172 accident near Howe, Idaho, November 14, 2020
On November 14, 2020 at about 6:30 pm local time, a 1957 Cessna 172, registered N8278B, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (climb to cruise) near Howe, Idaho. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from mountainous terrain after an encounter with a downdraft, which resulted in a collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 14, 2020 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Howe, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172, built 1957 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N8278B · no longer on the register · serial 36078
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that he was maneuvering the airplane from the south to the north on the leeward side of a ridgeline when the airplane encountered a downdraft and suddenly lost altitude. He turned the airplane to the west, then to the east in an attempt to regain altitude, but the airplane continued to descend and collided with terrain. The fuselage and both wings sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that 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
- Other weather encounter during enroute (climb to cruise)
- Low altitude operation/event during enroute (climb to cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Mountainous/hilly terrain › Effect on equipment
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Downdraft › Effect on equipment
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 23.1 hours in all; 12.3 in this make and model; 15.5 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,741 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2020; 17.2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300 (piston); 3,758 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1U2 Mud Lake ID at 6:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
1 document, released by the NTSB on August 20, 2021. 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, 9 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.