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19950218005509I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Cessna 172B · Marion, VA · February 18, 1995

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
February 18, 1995 · 09:20 local
Place
Marion, VA
Airport
Mountain Empire Airport
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N8215X
Reported as
Cessna 172B
Reported engine
Continental O300D
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
2,200 total2,000 in this make and model4 in the last 90 days
N8215XRegistered now · Cessna 172BS/N 17248715 · Built 1961Airframe modelCessna 172BEngine modelContinental 0-300 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Narrative: on February 18, 1995, Mr. Jerome p. laforest was pilot in command, and sole occupant of Cessna 172, N8215X, on an IFR flight from pontiac, Michigan with an intended destination of Marion, Virginia. Shortly after initiating the descent into Marion, N8215X, experienced a mechanical malfunction that resulted in a partial power loss. Mr. Laforest requested and received assistance from atl ARTCC, but overshot the Mountain Empire Airport, Marion, VA on his approach. N8215X broke out of the clouds a short distance northwest of the airport and was unable to climb or even maintain altitude. Mr. Laforest elected to make an off airport landing in a field and struck a power line with the vertical stabilizer, doing minor damage to the aircraft. No injuries resulted from the landing. Examination of the engine on N8215X revealed that #2 cylinder had failed for undetermined reasons. It appears that Mr. Laforest has no valid medical certificate, no current biennial flight review, and was not current for instrument flight rules. This incident closed with this report.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: ON FEBRUARY 18, 1995, MR. JEROME P. LAFOREST WAS PILOT IN COMMAND, AND SOLE OCCUPANT OF CESSNA 172, N8215X, ON AN IFR FLIGHT FROM PONTIAC, MICHIGAN WITH AN INTENDED DESTINATION OF MARION, VIRGINIA. SHORTLY AFTER INITIATING THE DESCENT INTO MARION, N8215X, EXPERIENCED A MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION THAT RESULTED IN A PARTIAL POWER LOSS. MR. LAFOREST REQUESTED AND RECEIVED ASSISTANCE FROM ATL ARTCC, BUT OVERSHOT THE MOUNTAIN EMPIRE AIRPORT, MARION, VA ON HIS APPROACH. N8215X BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS A SHORT DISTANCE NORTHWEST OF THE AIRPORT AND WAS UNABLE TO CLIMB OR EVEN MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. MR. LAFOREST ELECTED TO MAKE AN OFF AIRPORT LANDING IN A FIELD AND STRUCK A POWER LINE WITH THE VERTICAL STABILIZER, DOING MINOR DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. NO INJURIES RESULTED FROM THE LANDING. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE ON N8215X REVEALED THAT #2 CYLINDER HAD FAILED FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS. IT APPEARS THAT MR. LAFOREST HAS NO VALID MEDICAL CERTIFICATE, NO CURRENT BIENNIAL FLIGHT REVIEW, AND WAS NOT CURRENT FOR INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES. THIS INCIDENT CLOSED WITH THIS REPORT.