Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Rigby, Idaho 83442
Wednesday, January 28, 2004 10:20 MST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The flight instructor and non-instrument rated private pilot departed Pocatello, Idaho, on an instrument trainer for the private pilot. The instructor had filed an IFR flight plan to Rexburg, Idaho, and acknowledged an awareness of an AIRMET advising of occasional moderate rime to mixed icing-in-clouds below 16,000 feet. En route to Rexburg the aircraft entered a holding pattern at Idaho Falls, Idaho, during which it picked up what the private pilot described as "light" ice and the instructor characterized as a "trace" during the hold. Both pilots reported removing ice from the aircraft following the landing at Rexburg. The student obtained an updated weather brief where icing was again discussed and he filed an IFR flight plan from Rexburg back to Pocatello. The student and instructor then departed Rexburg for Pocatello. During the climb the aircraft began picking up ice and the instructor initially attempted to divert to Idaho Falls but upon breaking out of the clouds and noting the Rigby, Idaho, airport passing abeam, changed his intended landing site to Rigby. During the student's course reversal back toward Rigby the aircraft began descending rapidly eventually stalling prior to ground impact in a snow-covered agricultural field. The Cessna 172N was not equipped with any anti-icing or de-icing equipment with the exception of carburetor heat. The Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH) for the aircraft cautions that "Flight into known icing conditions is prohibited" both as a placard within the aircraft and as a flight limitation.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The flight instructor's failure to follow procedures, i.e., operating the non-icing certified aircraft in known icing conditions contrary to the pilot operators handbook which resulted in ice accretion and ultimately a stall and loss of control in flight. Contributing factors were the icing conditions and degraded aircraft performance.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 1/28/2004
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 1020
Event Time Zone Mountain Standard Time
Event City Rigby
Event State IDAHO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 83442
Event Date Year 2004
Event Date Month 1
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 433749N
Event Location Longitude 1115538W
Event Location Airport --
Event Location Nearest Airport ID --
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness --
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1026 Mountain Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 206
Weather Observation Facility ID IDA
Elevation of weather observation facility 4740
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 9
Time Zone of the weather observation MST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 500
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height --
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions --
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 1
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 0
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 200
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) 21
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation --
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Serious
On Ground, Fatal Injuries --
On Ground, Minor Injuries --
On Ground, Serious Injuries --
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 2
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 16422
NTSB Notification Source FAA SEA ROC
NTSB Notification Date Jan 28 2004 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 955
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information DMS
Date of most recent change to record Sep 29 2004 1:02PM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\MONR
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office Salt Lake City FSDO

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N734CB
NTSB Number SEA04LA038
Missing Aircraft Indicator --
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? Yes
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Cessna
Aircraft Model 172N
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number 17268740
Certified Max Gross Weight 2300
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 4
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Dec 24 2003 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 21
Airframe Hours 9855
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name Wagoner, Melvin
Aircraft Owner Street Address --
Aircraft Owner City American Falls
Aircraft Owner State ID
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 83211
Operator is an individual? No
Operator Name Avcenter, Inc.
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 1483 Flightline
Operator City Pocatello
Operator State ID
Operator Country USA
Operator Zip code 83204
Operator Code GAYA
Owner has at least one certificate --
Other Operator of large aircraft? --
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation --
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Instructional
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code RXE
Departure City Rexburg
Departure State ID
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 1000
Departure Time Zone MST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code PIH
Destination City Pocatello
Destination State ID
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight Approach - Initial approach fix (IAF) to final approach fix (FAF)/outer marker (IFR)
Report sent to ICAO? No
Evacuation occurred No
Date of most recent change to record Aug 5 2004 2:38PM
User who most recently changed record STAM
Since inspection or accident Time of Accident
Event Location Runway Number and Location NA
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --