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19980621014609A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Cessna 172M · Hebron, CT · June 21, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 21, 1998 · 22:00 local
Place
Hebron, CT
Phase of flight
Scud Running
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N12912
NTSB investigation
NTSBIAD98FA072
Reported as
Cessna 172M
Reported engine
Lycoming O320E2D
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Pilot’s flight hours
1,962 total30 in the last 90 days
N12912Registration cancelled Mar 3, 1999 · Cessna 172MS/N 17262365Airframe 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.

Crashed into hazy dark night. Few ground lights. Indicates spatal disorien tation and sprial dive. VFR only pilot. (.4)the non-instrument rated private pilot departed in night visual meteorological conditions without obtaining a weather briefing. Weather at the destination airport, 22 miles east of the departure airport, was IMC. Satellite imagery taken at about the time of the accident, revealed low stratus clouds and fog present at the accident site area. Radar data indicated that about 9 miles east of the destination airport, the airplane initiated a right hand turn, and completed two circles, with the radius of the second circle smaller than the first. The airplane's altitude readout fluctuated throughout the maneuver. The airplane impacted in a heavily wooded area and was scattered over 250 feet. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any pre-impact malfunctions of the airframe or engine. (-23) aircraft departed hfd on 06/21/98 at 2150 local for night landing practice at ijd. Hfd wx was VFR, ASOS at ifd was 700 ovc. Suspect the non-inst rated pvt pilot encountered IMC or fog at higher elevations approx 7 mil es from hfd, became disorientated, lost control of the aircraft and struck terrain approx 10 minutes after takeoff in a heavily wooded state park in Hebron, CT. The pilot was not reported overdue until the morning until his wife began looking for him. A search was initiated on the ground in a suspect area on the afternoon of 06/22/98. The wreckage of the airplane and body of the pilot was discovered by a searcher at approx 2000L and reported to authorities at approx 2030L. The NE comm center notified FSDO 03 at the same time. The ELT did not activate because it was destroyed on impact. No flight plan was filed and there is no evidence of any official wx source being utilized prior to the flight except for the hfd ATIS prior to takeoff. The NTSB was on scene June 23 and 24 to conduct the investigation with the assistance of FSDO 03, Cessna rep, Lycoming rep and bdl TRACON.

As the FAA filed it

CRASHED INTO HAZY DARK NIGHT. FEW GROUND LIGHTS. INDICATES SPATAL DISORIEN TATION AND SPRIAL DIVE. VFR ONLY PILOT. (.4)THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT DEPARTED IN NIGHT VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS WITHOUT OBTAINING A WEATHER BRIEFING. WEATHER AT THE DESTINATION AIRPORT, 22 MILES EAST OF THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT, WAS IMC. SATELLITE IMAGERY TAKEN AT ABOUT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, REVEALED LOW STRATUS CLOUDS AND FOG PRESENT AT THE ACCIDENT SITE AREA. RADAR DATA INDICATED THAT ABOUT 9 MILES EAST OF THE DESTINATION AIRPORT, THE AIRPLANE INITIATED A RIGHT HAND TURN, AND COMPLETED TWO CIRCLES, WITH THE RADIUS OF THE SECOND CIRCLE SMALLER THAN THE FIRST. THE AIRPLANE'S ALTITUDE READOUT FLUCTUATED THROUGHOUT THE MANEUVER. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED IN A HEAVILY WOODED AREA AND WAS SCATTERED OVER 250 FEET. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE DID NOT REVEAL ANY PRE-IMPACT MALFUNCTIONS OF THE AIRFRAME OR ENGINE. (-23) AIRCRAFT DEPARTED HFD ON 06/21/98 AT 2150 LOCAL FOR NIGHT LANDING PRACTICE AT IJD. HFD WX WAS VFR, ASOS AT IFD WAS 700 OVC. SUSPECT THE NON-INST RATED PVT PILOT ENCOUNTERED IMC OR FOG AT HIGHER ELEVATIONS APPROX 7 MIL ES FROM HFD, BECAME DISORIENTATED, LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND STRUCK TERRAIN APPROX 10 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF IN A HEAVILY WOODED STATE PARK IN HEBRON, CT. THE PILOT WAS NOT REPORTED OVERDUE UNTIL THE MORNING UNTIL HIS WIFE BEGAN LOOKING FOR HIM. A SEARCH WAS INITIATED ON THE GROUND IN A SUSPECT AREA ON THE AFTERNOON OF 06/22/98. THE WRECKAGE OF THE AIRPLANE AND BODY OF THE PILOT WAS DISCOVERED BY A SEARCHER AT APPROX 2000L AND REPORTED TO AUTHORITIES AT APPROX 2030L. THE NE COMM CENTER NOTIFIED FSDO 03 AT THE SAME TIME. THE ELT DID NOT ACTIVATE BECAUSE IT WAS DESTROYED ON IMPACT. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED AND THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF ANY OFFICIAL WX SOURCE BEING UTILIZED PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT EXCEPT FOR THE HFD ATIS PRIOR TO TAKEOFF. THE NTSB WAS ON SCENE JUNE 23 AND 24 TO CONDUCT THE INVESTIGATION WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF FSDO 03, CESSNA REP, LYCOMING REP AND BDL TRACON.

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 IAD98FA072Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportHebron, CTThe pilot's failure to obtain a weather briefing which resulted in inadvertent flight into instrument meteorological conditions, and his failure to maintain control of the airplane due to spatial disorientation. Factors in this accident were low ceilings and…Jun 22, 1998 · Destroyed

Other reports on N12912 · 1

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

Accident 19791115034669AGo Round (Aborted VFR) · Gaines, PAStud pilot on cross-country ran into snow-showers. Tried to land, aborted, hit trees on rising terrain on climb.Nov 15, 1979 · Substantial damage