Cessna 172B accident near Silver Springs, Nevada, July 7, 2022
On July 7, 2022 at about 1:45 am local time, a 1961 Cessna 172B, registered N7609X, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Silver Springs, Nevada (Silver Springs airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 7, 2022 · about 1:45 am local time
- Place
- Silver Springs, Nevada · Silver Springs · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172B, built 1961 · all 172Bs on the register
- Registration
- N7609X · no longer on the register · serial 17248109
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The instructional flight was returning to the airport when the engine rpm began to fluctuate, followed by backfiring. The pilot completed the emergency loss of engine power checklist. Unable to maintain altitude, the flight instructor assumed control of the airplane and performed an off-airport landing on open desert terrain. During the landing roll, the nosewheel collapsed, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage’s undercarriage. The engine and various instruments and components were removed from the airplane before the airplane was recovered, which prevented examination of the engine and related systems to determine the cause of the loss of engine 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
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot, remote
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,466 hours in all; 1,241 in this make and model; 182 in the last 90 days; 53 in the last 30 days; 1,314 as pilot in command; 961 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 15, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: private, remote
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,313.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 13, 2022
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental Motors 0-300-D (piston); 2,422 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.86 inHg
- Observation at 6:56 pm from KNFL, 20 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KNFL 070156Z 32011KT 10SM SCT080 32/02 A2986 RMK AO2 SLP086 T03220022
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on January 4, 2024. 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 |
| 2 | Memo for Record, Missing Airplane Engine | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | CFI Email | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Record of E-mail Correspondence (FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo Array | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N7609X the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.