NTSB Report Details Events Leading to Snake River Plane Crash Near Blackfoot
BLACKFOOT, Idaho — Federal investigators have determined that pilot error caused a small plane to crash into the frozen Snake River near Porterville Bridge in Bingham County last November, according to a report released by the National Transportation Safety Board.
The crash occurred on the evening of Nov. 9, 2025, when a student pilot attempted to maneuver his aircraft around McCarley Field Airport in Blackfoot before landing. The NTSB report, released last month, outlines a chain of events that ultimately sent the plane nose-first into the Snake River.
What the NTSB Report Found
According to the federal crash report, the 66-year-old student pilot was preparing to land at McCarley Field Airport at approximately 7 p.m. when he spotted another aircraft preparing to take off from the runway. Flying in full darkness, the pilot attempted to turn his plane to the left in order to circle the runway and allow the departing aircraft enough room to take off safely.
During that left-hand turn, investigators say the student pilot unintentionally put the aircraft into a descent, causing it to strike a tree. In response, the pilot pulled the nose of the aircraft upward in an attempt to regain altitude. That maneuver caused the plane to stall, and the aircraft then collided with additional trees. The combination of lost airspeed and structural damage from the collisions sent the plane plunging nose-first into the Snake River.
A recovery crew was dispatched to the scene and worked to lift the small airplane out of the river on Nov. 10, 2025, the day after the crash.
The NTSB formally determined that the probable cause of the accident was “the student pilot’s failure to maintain altitude and clearance from trees while maneuvering at night,” according to the report.
The student pilot was the only person on board the aircraft at the time of the crash. He was not seriously injured.
Pilot Experience and Contributing Factors
The federal report notes that the student pilot had accumulated over 675 hours of total flight time and 70 hours of command time at the time of the crash. While that level of experience is considerable for a student pilot, the NTSB’s findings point to the challenges of nighttime maneuvering as a critical factor in the sequence of events.
Night flying presents unique hazards that experienced aviators and aviation safety experts consistently highlight. Reduced visibility makes it significantly more difficult for pilots to judge altitude, distance from obstacles, and terrain clearance — particularly at low altitudes and during turns. The darkness surrounding McCarley Field Airport that November evening would have made spotting trees and other obstructions along the flight path extremely difficult.
The scenario described in the NTSB report — a pilot responding to unexpected traffic on the runway by initiating a last-minute go-around maneuver at night — reflects a high-pressure situation that demands precise aircraft control. Investigators concluded that the student pilot’s handling of the aircraft during that critical moment fell short of what was needed to avoid the trees in his flight path.
McCarley Field Airport serves the Blackfoot area in Bingham County, located in East Idaho along the Snake River corridor. The airport and surrounding terrain, including the Snake River and its tree-lined banks, present navigational considerations for pilots operating in the region, particularly after dark.
The Snake River runs through a broad swath of Eastern Idaho, and the Porterville Bridge area where the crash occurred is north of Blackfoot in Bingham County, not far from the Bonneville County line.
Aviation incidents in Idaho and across the region are tracked by statewide outlets including Idaho News, which covers public safety developments across the state. The Idaho News Network provides additional regional context at IdahoNewsNetwork.com.
What Comes Next
The release of the NTSB’s final crash report effectively closes the federal investigative phase of the Nov. 9, 2025, incident. NTSB reports are used primarily to improve aviation safety and are not used to assign legal liability or place fault in a criminal or civil sense. The findings may, however, factor into any future review of the student pilot’s certification status by the Federal Aviation Administration.
No further federal investigative action related to this specific crash has been announced. Residents and aviation stakeholders in Bonneville County and across East Idaho are encouraged to monitor updates through local public safety channels and aviation authority announcements as they become available.