On July 19, 1996, at 1134 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172, N1958D, collided with terrain after an in-flight loss of control near Midas, Nevada. The airplane was destroyed by postimpact fire. The pilot received fatal injuries. The airplane was being operated as a personal flight when the accident occurred. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. The accident airplane was one of two flying from McCall, Idaho, to Perris, California, with undetermined en route stops. The other airplane was being flown by the accident pilot's father. The father's airplane was experiencing engine problems and the father made an off-airport precautionary landing in an open field. The father stated that he got out of the airplane with the engine problem and expected his son to land. He observed his son's airplane in a steep turn at a low altitude. He reported that his son appeared to lose control and descend until impacting the ground. The elevation of the accident area was about 5,500 feet mean sea level (msl). The density altitude was estimated to be in excess of 7,000 feet msl at the time of the accident.