What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
E parted VFR into low ceiling fog and icing. Airframe iced up. Nosed over on high speed landing in muddy field. (-23) on March 5, 1996, about 1600 central standard time, a Cessna 172, N21662, sustained substantial damage when it nosed over during a forced landing I Valparaiso, Indiana. The private pilot reported no injuries. The personal, 14 CFR part 91 flight departed chicago, Illinois, about 1530 with a planned destination of hamilton, Ohio. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the accident site and no flight plan was filed. The pilot received a preflight weather briefing from kankakee flight service station. According to the pilot, the briefer reported ceilings from 700 to 2,000 feet, visibilities of one to seven miles with rain and fog, and reported icing in clouds near his planned route of flight. The pilot reported that he experienced precipitation and airframe icing during cruise. He pulled the carburetor heat control to the on position, then descended to an altitude of approximately 500 feet AGL to maintain visual contact with the ground. He said about 1/8 inch of ice had formed on the airplane after which he reversed cours e back to porter county in an attempt to locate an airport to land. The flight controls felt "sluggish" so he pushed the throttle to full power but was only able to maintain an airspeed of approximately 80 knots. The pilot reported the engine appeared to be operating "normally." He then selected a field, configured the airplane, and attempted an emergency landing. During the landing, the aircraft hydroplaned on the muddy field until the nose gear sank into the mud then sheared off. This caused the aircraft to flip over onto its back. Examination of the wreckage revealed the nose gear strut was fractured at the firewall mount and the yolk. The upper leading edge of both wings was crushed and the top of the vertical stabilizer and rudder was crushed in the downward direction. Examination of flight control continuity revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunction. The engine controls functioned normally. The engine rotated freely and the propeller exhibited minor bending at the tips. One blade was bent forward and the other blade was bent aft. Usable fuel remained in both fuel tanks.
As the FAA filed it
E PARTED VFR INTO LOW CEILING FOG AND ICING. AIRFRAME ICED UP. NOSED OVER ON HIGH SPEED LANDING IN MUDDY FIELD. (-23) ON MARCH 5, 1996, ABOUT 1600 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 172, N21662, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT NOSED OVER DURING A FORCED LANDING I VALPARAISO, INDIANA. THE PRIVATE PILOT REPORTED NO INJURIES. THE PERSONAL, 14 CFR PART 91 FLIGHT DEPARTED CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ABOUT 1530 WITH A PLANNED DESTINATION OF HAMILTON, OHIO. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE ACCIDENT SITE AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT RECEIVED A PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING FROM KANKAKEE FLIGHT SERVICE STATION. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE BRIEFER REPORTED CEILINGS FROM 700 TO 2,000 FEET, VISIBILITIES OF ONE TO SEVEN MILES WITH RAIN AND FOG, AND REPORTED ICING IN CLOUDS NEAR HIS PLANNED ROUTE OF FLIGHT. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE EXPERIENCED PRECIPITATION AND AIRFRAME ICING DURING CRUISE. HE PULLED THE CARBURETOR HEAT CONTROL TO THE ON POSITION, THEN DESCENDED TO AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 500 FEET AGL TO MAINTAIN VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE GROUND. HE SAID ABOUT 1/8 INCH OF ICE HAD FORMED ON THE AIRPLANE AFTER WHICH HE REVERSED COURS E BACK TO PORTER COUNTY IN AN ATTEMPT TO LOCATE AN AIRPORT TO LAND. THE FLIGHT CONTROLS FELT "SLUGGISH" SO HE PUSHED THE THROTTLE TO FULL POWER BUT WAS ONLY ABLE TO MAINTAIN AN AIRSPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 80 KNOTS. THE PILOT REPORTED THE ENGINE APPEARED TO BE OPERATING "NORMALLY." HE THEN SELECTED A FIELD, CONFIGURED THE AIRPLANE, AND ATTEMPTED AN EMERGENCY LANDING. DURING THE LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT HYDROPLANED ON THE MUDDY FIELD UNTIL THE NOSE GEAR SANK INTO THE MUD THEN SHEARED OFF. THIS CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO FLIP OVER ONTO ITS BACK. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THE NOSE GEAR STRUT WAS FRACTURED AT THE FIREWALL MOUNT AND THE YOLK. THE UPPER LEADING EDGE OF BOTH WINGS WAS CRUSHED AND THE TOP OF THE VERTICAL STABILIZER AND RUDDER WAS CRUSHED IN THE DOWNWARD DIRECTION. EXAMINATION OF FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF PREIMPACT MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION. THE ENGINE CONTROLS FUNCTIONED NORMALLY. THE ENGINE ROTATED FREELY AND THE PROPELLER EXHIBITED MINOR BENDING AT THE TIPS. ONE BLADE WAS BENT FORWARD AND THE OTHER BLADE WAS BENT AFT. USABLE FUEL REMAINED IN BOTH FUEL TANKS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N21662 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.