19970922027909A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Cessna 172P · Airville, PA · September 22, 1997

Date: September 22, 1997 · 11:30 local
Place: Airville, PA
Phase of flight: Descent
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N55221
NTSB investigation: NTSBIAD97FA122
Reported as: Cessna 172P
Reported engine: Lycoming O320D2J
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Pilot’s flight hours: 29 total24 in this make and model14 in the last 90 days

N55221Registration cancelled Apr 1, 1998 · Cessna 172PS/N 17275138 Airframe modelCessna 172P

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.

(.4)This was the first leg of the student pilot's first solo cross country. The pilot had radioed the control tower that he was 10 miles south of the airport, and had requested a vector to the airport. He reported that the elevator felt mushy, but that it was no big deal. There were no further transmissions from the pilot. According to radar data, the airplane's last 28 minutes 11 seconds, consisted of numerous turns, and significant changes of direction. The airplane impacted in a corn field, about 22 miles south of the airport. According to the pilot's log book, he had over 27 hours of total flight experience, which included 1 hour of solo flight experience. The last entry in his log book was 1 month prior to the accident, when he logged 3/10 hours of dual. He also logged 6/10 hours of solo flight experience 2 months prior to the accident. Examination of the wreckage did not disclose any anomalies with the airplane or the engine.

As the FAA filed it

(.4)THIS WAS THE FIRST LEG OF THE STUDENT PILOT'S FIRST SOLO CROSS COUNTRY. THE PILOT HAD RADIOED THE CONTROL TOWER THAT HE WAS 10 MILES SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT, AND HAD REQUESTED A VECTOR TO THE AIRPORT. HE REPORTED THAT THE ELEVATOR FELT MUSHY, BUT THAT IT WAS NO BIG DEAL. THERE WERE NO FURTHER TRANSMISSIONS FROM THE PILOT. ACCORDING TO RADAR DATA, THE AIRPLANE'S LAST 28 MINUTES 11 SECONDS, CONSISTED OF NUMEROUS TURNS, AND SIGNIFICANT CHANGES OF DIRECTION. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED IN A CORN FIELD, ABOUT 22 MILES SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT'S LOG BOOK, HE HAD OVER 27 HOURS OF TOTAL FLIGHT EXPERIENCE, WHICH INCLUDED 1 HOUR OF SOLO FLIGHT EXPERIENCE. THE LAST ENTRY IN HIS LOG BOOK WAS 1 MONTH PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, WHEN HE LOGGED 3/10 HOURS OF DUAL. HE ALSO LOGGED 6/10 HOURS OF SOLO FLIGHT EXPERIENCE 2 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE DID NOT DISCLOSE ANY ANOMALIES WITH THE AIRPLANE OR THE ENGINE.

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 IAD97FA122Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportAirville, PAThe student pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in a stall/mush and subsequent collision with terrain.Sep 22, 1997 · Destroyed