Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Casper, Wyoming
Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf
Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board: https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms
Aviation Accident Data Summary - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf
NTSB Identification: WPR13CA381
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Tuesday, August 20, 2013 in Meeteetse, WY
Probable Cause Approval Date: 11/19/2013
Aircraft: CESSNA 172E, registration: N516MA
Injuries: 1 Minor.
NTSB investigators used data provided by various entities, including, but not limited to, the Federal Aviation Administration and/or the operator and did not travel in support of this investigation to prepare this aircraft accident report.
The student pilot reported that while on a solo cross-country flight she was using dead reckoning through the mountains. The pilot was unsure of her location and as she proceeded to the west, the mountainous terrain became steeper, which required her to ascend from 7,500 feet mean sea level (msl) to 8,500 feet msl. The student stated that being unable to clear the rising terrain in her flight path and unable to turn the airplane around, she elected to make a landing. During the approach a gust of wind hit the right wing, which resulted in the nose landing gear impacting the rocky terrain. The airplane nosed over and sustained substantial damage to both wings and the empennage. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or the engine that would have precluded normal operation.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The student pilot's inadequate preflight planning and failure to maintain clearance from rising terrain, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of situational awareness.
McKenzie Morgan describes the moment before her single engine Cessna crashed in the mountains in Wyoming during a Gazette interview on Aug. 21, 2013. Morgan's story is the subject of a "Dateline" episode Sunday night.
Read more: http://billingsgazette.com
An aerial view of a Tuesday plane crash northwest of Kirwin near Francs Peak. The pilot, a 17-year-old from Billings, walked away from the crash and was taken to Kirwin by a hunter who witnessed the crash.
(Courtesy photo)
MEETEETSE, WY - A 17-year-old Billings girl making her first solo flight crashed near Meeteetse Wyoming and walked away with only minor injuries. The plane went down Tuesday afternoon in a rugged area of the Shoshone National Forest.
McKenzie Morgan was operating a Cessna 172 aircraft for a multi-city training flight that originated in Laurel.
A news release from the Park County Sheriff's Office states that after a stop in Greybull, Wyoming, she became disoriented and ended up southwest of Meeteetse.
Two men from the Casper Wyoming area were nearby on horseback scouting elk for the upcoming hunting season, and called 911 to report a plane they just witnessed go down.
The 17-year-old was able to get out of the plane and the men took her to the rescue team that was in the process of setting up a search.
A Park County Sheriff's deputy said if it wasn't for those two hunters, the girl might have been stranded for hours.
She was treated for minor injuries by ambulance crews and was taken to a hospital in Cody as a precaution.
http://www.kpax.com
The 17-year-old pilot of a Cessna 172 aircraft became disoriented and crashed near Meeteetse on Tuesday during her first solo flight.
While McKenzie Morgan of Billings was able to walk away from the crash site northwest of Kirwin in rugged Shoshone Forest territory, Park County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Lance Mathess said the extent of her injuries are unknown at this time.
A hunter took Morgan on horseback from the backcountry to the abandoned mining town of Kirwin where she was treated by a West Park Hospital Ambulance crew for minor injuries and transported to the hospital.
Morgan was participating in a multi-city training flight that was supposed to start and end in Laurel and included stops in Powell, Cody, Greybull, Fort Smith and Billings, Mathess said. It was her first time flying solo.
Using topographical maps as well as rivers and creek beds as navigational aids, Morgan apparently became disoriented after departing Greybull and ended up southwest of Meeteetse, Mathess said.
About 6 p.m. Tuesday, dispatch received a 911 call from Nathan Coil, 26, of Casper advising he had just witnessed a plane go down south of Francs Peak, Mathess said.
Dispatch learned Coil was in the area with friend Joshua Alexander, 27, of Douglas preparing for hunting season. The pair were horseback scouting a herd of elk when they witnessed the crash just below them.
Coil immediately began searching for a place to get cellphone reception to report the accident, while Alexander proceeded to the crash site, Mathess said.
Meanwhile, Morgan was able to exit the aircraft and walk some distance before she met up with Alexander. He lifted her onto his horse and walked her out to Kirwin, where emergency responders were in the process of mobilizing a search, Mathess said.
“Morgan was one lucky young lady,” deputy Hayes Randol said.“If it had not been for these two hunters being in the right place at the right time, she may still be out there.
“We’re all extremely relieved that this potentially tragic situation had the best possible outcome.”
http://www.codyenterprise.com
http://www.powelltribune.com
