Cessna 172 N8278B accident near Howe, Idaho

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from mountainous terrain after an encounter with a downdraft, which resulted in a collision with terrain.

NTSB analysis

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.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR21LA056 for the full record.