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19961104034789A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Cessna 177B · Chancellor, SD · November 4, 1996

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
November 4, 1996 · 21:04 local
Place
Chancellor, SD
Phase of flight
Final Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N34994
NTSB investigation
NTSBCHI97FA024
Reported as
Cessna 177B
Reported engine
Lycoming O360A1F6
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Pilot’s flight hours
1,350 total
N34994Registration cancelled Apr 4, 1998 · Cessna 177BS/N 17702144Airframe modelCessna 177B

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.

VFR pilot flying into IFR conditions, unable to land due to weather, vectored to tea airport, crashed. (.4)the noninstrument-rated pilot was operating the airplane with an inoperative directional gyro. The flight arrived and requested a landing at a controlled airport at night, in instrument meteorological conditions. The air traffic controller suggested headings to an uncontrolled airport; however, the pilot was unable to navigate to that location. The airplane departed controlled flight and impacted the terrain. Subsequent investigation failed to reveal any additional pre-existing anomalies in the airplane. (-23) on November 4, 1996, at 2108 CST, a Cessna 177B owned and operated by private pilot shirley george clark disappeared from radar while in contact with sioux falls approach. The aircraft departed scottsbluff, Nebraska on a FAR part 91 VFR flight to sioux falls, south dakota. The weather at sioux falls was IFR. The pilot was not instrument rated. No flight plan was filed, and there was no evidence that the pilot obtained a weather briefing. The aircraft was demolished and the pilot received fatal injuries. There were no other passengers on board.

As the FAA filed it

VFR PILOT FLYING INTO IFR CONDITIONS, UNABLE TO LAND DUE TO WEATHER, VECTORED TO TEA AIRPORT, CRASHED. (.4)THE NONINSTRUMENT-RATED PILOT WAS OPERATING THE AIRPLANE WITH AN INOPERATIVE DIRECTIONAL GYRO. THE FLIGHT ARRIVED AND REQUESTED A LANDING AT A CONTROLLED AIRPORT AT NIGHT, IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER SUGGESTED HEADINGS TO AN UNCONTROLLED AIRPORT; HOWEVER, THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO NAVIGATE TO THAT LOCATION. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED CONTROLLED FLIGHT AND IMPACTED THE TERRAIN. SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION FAILED TO REVEAL ANY ADDITIONAL PRE-EXISTING ANOMALIES IN THE AIRPLANE. (-23) ON NOVEMBER 4, 1996, AT 2108 CST, A CESSNA 177B OWNED AND OPERATED BY PRIVATE PILOT SHIRLEY GEORGE CLARK DISAPPEARED FROM RADAR WHILE IN CONTACT WITH SIOUX FALLS APPROACH. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED SCOTTSBLUFF, NEBRASKA ON A FAR PART 91 VFR FLIGHT TO SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA. THE WEATHER AT SIOUX FALLS WAS IFR. THE PILOT WAS NOT INSTRUMENT RATED. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED, AND THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE THAT THE PILOT OBTAINED A WEATHER BRIEFING. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DEMOLISHED AND THE PILOT RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. THERE WERE NO OTHER PASSENGERS ON BOARD.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CHI97FA024Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportChancellor, SDthe pilot's attempted flight with known deficiencies in equipment, his initiating VFR flight into IMC conditions, his spatial disorientation and loss of control of the airplane. Factors were fog, dark night, and inoperative directional gyro.Nov 5, 1996 · Destroyed