What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Narrative: on 02-12-94 at approximately 1200 hours, while on a pleasure flight, Mr. Bernard j. meacham experienced a ground white out condition, while operating his aircraft at approximately 100' over the NE part of lake pepin, MN. Mr. Meacham was operating a CE-172-M, N9026H, on a test flight after having located an electrical problem that had plagued the aircraft since he purchased it new. Mr. Meacham is based in Ellsworth, WI. He was conducting the test flight at a very low attitude over an uninhabited area of the snow covered frozen lake. Mr. Meacham's attention was inside the aircraft while he was verifying, with a volt meter, that the battery was properly charging. He was very excited that he had solved a battery charging problem. Mr. Meacham states that he remembers trimming his aircraft up slightly just before the incident. He stated that he realized he had a problem when he looked out of the aircraft and all he could see was what he thought was "a white out condition". His first thought was to turn back to the airport, thinking he had flown into a snow squall. It was at this time, he stated, that the aircraft settled into the snow covered frozen lake with power (2200 RPM). He was so low that he had lost his reference to the horizon. The lake is a very large lake allowing him to lose sight of the horizon at a low altitude. Mr. Meahcam's aircraft received minor damage. He received a minor cut on his face, but did not require medical attention. He was not using his shoulder harness. privacy data omitted
As the FAA filed it
NARRATIVE: ON 02-12-94 AT APPROXIMATELY 1200 HOURS, WHILE ON A PLEASURE FLIGHT, MR. BERNARD J. MEACHAM EXPERIENCED A GROUND WHITE OUT CONDITION, WHILE OPERATING HIS AIRCRAFT AT APPROXIMATELY 100' OVER THE NE PART OF LAKE PEPIN, MN. MR. MEACHAM WAS OPERATING A CE-172-M, N9026H, ON A TEST FLIGHT AFTER HAVING LOCATED AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM THAT HAD PLAGUED THE AIRCRAFT SINCE HE PURCHASED IT NEW. MR. MEACHAM IS BASED IN ELLSWORTH, WI. HE WAS CONDUCTING THE TEST FLIGHT AT A VERY LOW ATTITUDE OVER AN UNINHABITED AREA OF THE SNOW COVERED FROZEN LAKE. MR. MEACHAM'S ATTENTION WAS INSIDE THE AIRCRAFT WHILE HE WAS VERIFYING, WITH A VOLT METER, THAT THE BATTERY WAS PROPERLY CHARGING. HE WAS VERY EXCITED THAT HE HAD SOLVED A BATTERY CHARGING PROBLEM. MR. MEACHAM STATES THAT HE REMEMBERS TRIMMING HIS AIRCRAFT UP SLIGHTLY JUST BEFORE THE INCIDENT. HE STATED THAT HE REALIZED HE HAD A PROBLEM WHEN HE LOOKED OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT AND ALL HE COULD SEE WAS WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS "A WHITE OUT CONDITION". HIS FIRST THOUGHT WAS TO TURN BACK TO THE AIRPORT, THINKING HE HAD FLOWN INTO A SNOW SQUALL. IT WAS AT THIS TIME, HE STATED, THAT THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED INTO THE SNOW COVERED FROZEN LAKE WITH POWER (2200 RPM). HE WAS SO LOW THAT HE HAD LOST HIS REFERENCE TO THE HORIZON. THE LAKE IS A VERY LARGE LAKE ALLOWING HIM TO LOSE SIGHT OF THE HORIZON AT A LOW ALTITUDE. MR. MEAHCAM'S AIRCRAFT RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGE. HE RECEIVED A MINOR CUT ON HIS FACE, BUT DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. HE WAS NOT USING HIS SHOULDER HARNESS. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^
Other reports on N9026H · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.