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19980301002189A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Cessna 172P · Hampton, VA · March 1, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 1, 1998 · 09:36 local
Place
Hampton, VA
Airport
Langley Afb
Phase of flight
In Traffic Pattern-Circling
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N62082
NTSB investigation
NTSBIAD98FA032
Reported as
Cessna 172P
Reported engine
Lycoming O320D2J
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
2
Pilot’s flight hours
146 total39 in this make and model3 in the last 90 days
N62082Registration cancelled Jun 2, 1998 · Cessna 172PS/N 17275207Airframe 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.

Departed into low ceiling by mistake. Tried turn back. Entered clouds lost it. Dove into building. PIC right seat. (.4) the two pilots filed a local VFR flight plan and departed the 10,000 feet long runway to the east. According to united states air force weather observers, a cloud layer at 300 feet with fog was approaching the airport from the northeast at the same time the airplane departed. Shortly after takeoff, the airplane transmitted to the tower, `...we're going to come back for landing...uh...the ceiling is lower than we thought.' The tower controller acknowledged the call and instructed the airplane to report when it reached the base leg of the traffic pattern. The tower controller observed the airplane enter a climbing left turn and disappear into the approaching cloud layer. He said, `it was nice and clear in all quadrants with a little overcast/light fog to the east.' Witnesses in proximity to the crash site reported they heard the airplane but could not see it until it descended vertically out of the low cloud cover. The airplane collided with terrain and a building in the vicinity of the downwind leg of the traffic pattern. Examination of the wreckage revealed no pre-impact anomalies. The pilot in the left seat did not posses an instrument rating. (-23) see narrative #IAD98FA032

As the FAA filed it

DEPARTED INTO LOW CEILING BY MISTAKE. TRIED TURN BACK. ENTERED CLOUDS LOST IT. DOVE INTO BUILDING. PIC RIGHT SEAT. (.4) THE TWO PILOTS FILED A LOCAL VFR FLIGHT PLAN AND DEPARTED THE 10,000 FEET LONG RUNWAY TO THE EAST. ACCORDING TO UNITED STATES AIR FORCE WEATHER OBSERVERS, A CLOUD LAYER AT 300 FEET WITH FOG WAS APPROACHING THE AIRPORT FROM THE NORTHEAST AT THE SAME TIME THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED. SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, THE AIRPLANE TRANSMITTED TO THE TOWER, `...WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK FOR LANDING...UH...THE CEILING IS LOWER THAN WE THOUGHT.' THE TOWER CONTROLLER ACKNOWLEDGED THE CALL AND INSTRUCTED THE AIRPLANE TO REPORT WHEN IT REACHED THE BASE LEG OF THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. THE TOWER CONTROLLER OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE ENTER A CLIMBING LEFT TURN AND DISAPPEAR INTO THE APPROACHING CLOUD LAYER. HE SAID, `IT WAS NICE AND CLEAR IN ALL QUADRANTS WITH A LITTLE OVERCAST/LIGHT FOG TO THE EAST.' WITNESSES IN PROXIMITY TO THE CRASH SITE REPORTED THEY HEARD THE AIRPLANE BUT COULD NOT SEE IT UNTIL IT DESCENDED VERTICALLY OUT OF THE LOW CLOUD COVER. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN AND A BUILDING IN THE VICINITY OF THE DOWNWIND LEG OF THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED NO PRE-IMPACT ANOMALIES. THE PILOT IN THE LEFT SEAT DID NOT POSSES AN INSTRUMENT RATING. (-23) SEE NARRATIVE #IAD98FA032

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 IAD98FA032Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportLangley Afb, VAThe pilot's inadvertent VFR flight into IMC conditions, and the subsequent loss of aircraft control due to spatial disorientation. A factor in the accident was the low ceiling.Mar 1, 1998 · Destroyed

Other reports on N62082 · 1

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

Incident 19821215065839IFinal Approach · East Hampton, NYToo low on final. Left main gear was damaged by striking a snowbank at the runway threshold.Dec 15, 1982 · Minor damage