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19971119041229A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Cessna 172P · Salem, IN · November 19, 1997

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
November 19, 1997 · 20:00 local
Place
Salem, IN
Phase of flight
Initial Approach-IFR
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N92042
NTSB investigation
NTSBCHI98LA040
Reported as
Cessna 172P
Reported engine
Lycoming O360A4M
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
265 total170 in this make and model
N92042Registration cancelled Sep 2, 1998 · Cessna 172MS/N 17261543Airframe modelCessna 172M

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.

Diverted to 183 due electrical problems. Impacted short of runway and burned.(.4) the pilot had topped off the fuel at evansville, Indiana, before continuing on to wilmington, Ohio. The alternator circuit breaker popped during climb out and he reset it. After flying approximately twenty minutes, the pilot saw smoke curling from under the instrument panel. Louisville approach gave the pilot radar vectors to Salem, Indiana. The pilot activated the runway lights, but he did not turn on the airplane's landing lights. He tried to lower the flaps, but they did not operate. He reported that he thought he was high enough, but got too low, and the ariplane hit trees. The airplane came to rest about 1,000 feet east of the airport. There were indications that the airplane's left wing had impacted a tree, and the airplane had spun around. Both propeller blades had leading edge and chordwise scratching. The airplane's electrical system was examined, but the reason for the electrical malfunction was not determined. (-23) on November 19, 1997, at 2000 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172, N92042, was destroyed when it impacted the terrain while attempting to land a t the Salem municipal airport, Salem, Indiana. The private pilot was seriously injured. The 14 CFR 91 flight had departed the evansville regional airport (evv), evansville, Indiana, en route to the airborne airpark, wilmington, Ohio. The pilot reported that he had been experiencing an electrical problem and had diverted to the Salem municipal airport to make a precautionary landing. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a VFR flight plan had been filed.

As the FAA filed it

DIVERTED TO 183 DUE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. IMPACTED SHORT OF RUNWAY AND BURNED.(.4) THE PILOT HAD TOPPED OFF THE FUEL AT EVANSVILLE, INDIANA, BEFORE CONTINUING ON TO WILMINGTON, OHIO. THE ALTERNATOR CIRCUIT BREAKER POPPED DURING CLIMB OUT AND HE RESET IT. AFTER FLYING APPROXIMATELY TWENTY MINUTES, THE PILOT SAW SMOKE CURLING FROM UNDER THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. LOUISVILLE APPROACH GAVE THE PILOT RADAR VECTORS TO SALEM, INDIANA. THE PILOT ACTIVATED THE RUNWAY LIGHTS, BUT HE DID NOT TURN ON THE AIRPLANE'S LANDING LIGHTS. HE TRIED TO LOWER THE FLAPS, BUT THEY DID NOT OPERATE. HE REPORTED THAT HE THOUGHT HE WAS HIGH ENOUGH, BUT GOT TOO LOW, AND THE ARIPLANE HIT TREES. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST ABOUT 1,000 FEET EAST OF THE AIRPORT. THERE WERE INDICATIONS THAT THE AIRPLANE'S LEFT WING HAD IMPACTED A TREE, AND THE AIRPLANE HAD SPUN AROUND. BOTH PROPELLER BLADES HAD LEADING EDGE AND CHORDWISE SCRATCHING. THE AIRPLANE'S ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WAS EXAMINED, BUT THE REASON FOR THE ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION WAS NOT DETERMINED. (-23) ON NOVEMBER 19, 1997, AT 2000 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 172, N92042, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED THE TERRAIN WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LAND A T THE SALEM MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, SALEM, INDIANA. THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE 14 CFR 91 FLIGHT HAD DEPARTED THE EVANSVILLE REGIONAL AIRPORT (EVV), EVANSVILLE, INDIANA, EN ROUTE TO THE AIRBORNE AIRPARK, WILMINGTON, OHIO. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD BEEN EXPERIENCING AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM AND HAD DIVERTED TO THE SALEM MUNICIPAL AIRPORT TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING. NIGHT VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND A VFR FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED.

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 CHI98LA040Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportSalem, INthe pilot's misjudgment of distance and altitude, while on final approach to land at night. Factors relating to the accident included: an undetermined electrical malfunction, inoperative flaps, darkness, the pilot not using the landing light, and the…Nov 20, 1997 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N92042 · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19730812024819AGo Round (Aborted VFR) · NYAug 12, 1973 · Substantial damage