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19980621014369A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Cessna 172N · Ocean City, MD · June 21, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 21, 1998 · 21:55 local
Place
Ocean City, MD
Airport
Ocean City Municipal Airport
Phase of flight
In Traffic Pattern-Circling
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N5944E
NTSB investigation
NTSBIAD98FA070
Reported as
Cessna 172N
Reported engine
Lycoming O320H2AD
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Pilot’s flight hours
137 total57 in this make and model2 in the last 90 days
N5944ERegistration cancelled May 11, 2015 · Cessna 172NS/N 17271970 · Built 1978Airframe modelCessna 172NEngine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

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.

Acft crashed under unkno circums, pilot suffered fatal inj, acft was destroyed, Ocean City, MD. (-23) the non-instrument rated pilot departed Ocean City Municipal Airport in limited visibility conditions which were caused by fog. A witness reported the visibility one hour before the accident to be 1/2 mile. The pilot made an uncontrolled descent into the ground. (From .4) the pilot had planned to make three takeoffs and landing for night currency. When the pilot took off, visibility was poor due to heavy mist. A witness said visibility worsened when a wall of fog covered the airfield while the airplane was in the traffic pattern. He heard the airplane at full power, and watched it fly about 100 feet over the hangers where the landing gear was illuminated by the rotating beacon. The witness heard the engine throttle up, and heard the airplane all the way to impact. Emergency crews from four different municipalities required 1 hour and 20 minutes to locate the wreckage on the airport due to heavy fog. The airspeed indicator needle was crushed against the face at the 160 knot striation. The engine tachometer needle was crushed against the face at the 3200 RPM striation, 500 RPM above the placarded redline. A review of the pilot's logbook revealed he had 135 hours of total flight experience. He had logged 1.8 hours in the month before the accident. Prior to that, he had not flown in 7 months, and his last night experience was 18 months prior to the accident. He was not instrument rated.

As the FAA filed it

ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNO CIRCUMS, PILOT SUFFERED FATAL INJ, ACFT WAS DESTROYED, OCEAN CITY, MD. (-23) THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT DEPARTED OCEAN CITY MUNICIPAL AIRPORT IN LIMITED VISIBILITY CONDITIONS WHICH WERE CAUSED BY FOG. A WITNESS REPORTED THE VISIBILITY ONE HOUR BEFORE THE ACCIDENT TO BE 1/2 MILE. THE PILOT MADE AN UNCONTROLLED DESCENT INTO THE GROUND. (FROM .4) THE PILOT HAD PLANNED TO MAKE THREE TAKEOFFS AND LANDING FOR NIGHT CURRENCY. WHEN THE PILOT TOOK OFF, VISIBILITY WAS POOR DUE TO HEAVY MIST. A WITNESS SAID VISIBILITY WORSENED WHEN A WALL OF FOG COVERED THE AIRFIELD WHILE THE AIRPLANE WAS IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. HE HEARD THE AIRPLANE AT FULL POWER, AND WATCHED IT FLY ABOUT 100 FEET OVER THE HANGERS WHERE THE LANDING GEAR WAS ILLUMINATED BY THE ROTATING BEACON. THE WITNESS HEARD THE ENGINE THROTTLE UP, AND HEARD THE AIRPLANE ALL THE WAY TO IMPACT. EMERGENCY CREWS FROM FOUR DIFFERENT MUNICIPALITIES REQUIRED 1 HOUR AND 20 MINUTES TO LOCATE THE WRECKAGE ON THE AIRPORT DUE TO HEAVY FOG. THE AIRSPEED INDICATOR NEEDLE WAS CRUSHED AGAINST THE FACE AT THE 160 KNOT STRIATION. THE ENGINE TACHOMETER NEEDLE WAS CRUSHED AGAINST THE FACE AT THE 3200 RPM STRIATION, 500 RPM ABOVE THE PLACARDED REDLINE. A REVIEW OF THE PILOT'S LOGBOOK REVEALED HE HAD 135 HOURS OF TOTAL FLIGHT EXPERIENCE. HE HAD LOGGED 1.8 HOURS IN THE MONTH BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. PRIOR TO THAT, HE HAD NOT FLOWN IN 7 MONTHS, AND HIS LAST NIGHT EXPERIENCE WAS 18 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. HE WAS NOT INSTRUMENT RATED.

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 IAD98FA070Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportOcean City, MDThe pilot's failure to maintain control of the aircraft due to spatial disorientation. Contributing factors wer fog, dark night conditions, lack of recent experience, inadequate preflight planning, and flight into known adverse weather.Jun 22, 1998 · Destroyed

Other reports on N5944E · 1

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

Incident 19811003075689IGround Taxi, Other Airplane · Farmingdale, NYAircrafts wing struck tree while being parked after flight.Oct 3, 1981 · Minor damage