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19971228044519A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Cessna 177B · Ft Leonard Wood, MO · December 28, 1997

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
December 28, 1997 · 19:30 local
Place
Ft Leonard Wood, MO
Phase of flight
Scud Running
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N30255
NTSB investigation
NTSBCHI98LA126
Reported as
Cessna 177B
Reported engine
Lycoming O320E2D
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Pilot’s flight hours
1,200 total450 in this make and model
N30255Registration cancelled Oct 31, 1998 · Cessna 177S/N 17701153Airframe modelCessna 177

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.

Departed VFR into IMC in heavy snow showers. Lost control. Crashed. Found 4 months later. (.4)the non-instrument rated pilot obtained outlook and abbreviated weather briefings before departing on an extended cross country. During the abbreviated weather briefing the faa's fss specialist advised the pilot that '...VFR flight is not recommended.' The pilot said he would call the FAA fss back before departure. There was no record of a return call by the pilot. Later in the day, the pilot landed at an airport midway between his departure airport and planned destination. While at the airport he refueled the airplane and obtained a weather briefing. The pilot told the airport manager that the fss specialist told him that VFR flight was not recommended. The manager suggested the pilot fly south into eastern Kansas, west of the weather system, land and check the weather before continuing. Relatives reported the pilot missing on December 28, 1997. The airplane was found on April 17, 1998. The on-scene examination revealed the airplane collided with trees, terrain and was destroyed by fire. Examination of the airframe, eng ine and flight controls system revealed no anomalies that would have prevented flight. Weather reported about 60 miles southwest and 35 miles northeast of the accident site showed IMC conditions at the approximate time of accident.

As the FAA filed it

DEPARTED VFR INTO IMC IN HEAVY SNOW SHOWERS. LOST CONTROL. CRASHED. FOUND 4 MONTHS LATER. (.4)THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT OBTAINED OUTLOOK AND ABBREVIATED WEATHER BRIEFINGS BEFORE DEPARTING ON AN EXTENDED CROSS COUNTRY. DURING THE ABBREVIATED WEATHER BRIEFING THE FAA'S FSS SPECIALIST ADVISED THE PILOT THAT '...VFR FLIGHT IS NOT RECOMMENDED.' THE PILOT SAID HE WOULD CALL THE FAA FSS BACK BEFORE DEPARTURE. THERE WAS NO RECORD OF A RETURN CALL BY THE PILOT. LATER IN THE DAY, THE PILOT LANDED AT AN AIRPORT MIDWAY BETWEEN HIS DEPARTURE AIRPORT AND PLANNED DESTINATION. WHILE AT THE AIRPORT HE REFUELED THE AIRPLANE AND OBTAINED A WEATHER BRIEFING. THE PILOT TOLD THE AIRPORT MANAGER THAT THE FSS SPECIALIST TOLD HIM THAT VFR FLIGHT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED. THE MANAGER SUGGESTED THE PILOT FLY SOUTH INTO EASTERN KANSAS, WEST OF THE WEATHER SYSTEM, LAND AND CHECK THE WEATHER BEFORE CONTINUING. RELATIVES REPORTED THE PILOT MISSING ON DECEMBER 28, 1997. THE AIRPLANE WAS FOUND ON APRIL 17, 1998. THE ON-SCENE EXAMINATION REVEALED THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TREES, TERRAIN AND WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRFRAME, ENG INE AND FLIGHT CONTROLS SYSTEM REVEALED NO ANOMALIES THAT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED FLIGHT. WEATHER REPORTED ABOUT 60 MILES SOUTHWEST AND 35 MILES NORTHEAST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE SHOWED IMC CONDITIONS AT THE APPROXIMATE TIME OF ACCIDENT.

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 CHI98LA126Accident · 1 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportFt. Leonardwood, MOThe pilot's failure to maintain adequate obstacle clearance and his inadequate inflight decision which resulted in VFR flight in to instrument meteorological conditions. The pilot's overconfidence in his ability is a contributing factor.Dec 29, 1997 · Destroyed

Other reports on N30255 · 1

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

Accident 19961203046439ARegan, ND(-23) Pilot was enroute from harvey, ND to bismarck, ND at approximately 4,000'. He was above cloud layer and descended through hole in cloud layer. Visibility and ceiling went down and pilot decided to lane in open field. Aircraft sustained major damage to…Dec 3, 1996 · No damage