What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot came on the frequency and advised that the acft had crashed into trees. (-23) pilot flew into IMC conditions while following interstate between mountains under obsured cloud ceiling of 4,000 ft. during climb aircraft flew into terrain and impacted ground.(.4) on November 8, 1998, about 1640 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172N, N4696G, collided with trees and mountainous terrain near Lima, south carolina. The airplane was operated by the registered owner under the provisions of title 14 CFR part 91, and visual flight rules. Instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) prevailed at the accident site, and no flight plan was filed for the instructional flight. There were minor injuries to the owner/private pilot, no injuries to the flight instructor, and the airplane was destroyed. The flight originated in hendersonville, north carolina, about 1630 destined for greenville, south carolina. According to the student pilot, the airplane departed hendersville airport with himself in the left seat and the flight instructor in the right seat. The student pilot was advised that the flight instructor would take over if IMC condtions were encountered during the flight. The student pilot was at the controls as the airplane was being navigated between mountains following a major highway. According tot he student, he was advised to stay below the lowering overcast and follow highway 25 to greenville, south carolina. After following a bend in the highway, IMC was encountered and the flight instructor took over as pilot-in-command. A climb was initiated though IMC, on course, in order to attain visual meteorological conditions above the lowered ceiling and mountainous terrain. Shortly after initiating the climb, the airplane collided with trees and mountainous terrain. The flight instructor stated, "he failed to recall that the highway, and the valley, deviated to the west. Normally they would not descend below the tops of the mountains flying this route, but allowed themselves to descend rather than turn around when the cloud ceiling lowered." The flight instructor stated there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT CAME ON THE FREQUENCY AND ADVISED THAT THE ACFT HAD CRASHED INTO TREES. (-23) PILOT FLEW INTO IMC CONDITIONS WHILE FOLLOWING INTERSTATE BETWEEN MOUNTAINS UNDER OBSURED CLOUD CEILING OF 4,000 FT. DURING CLIMB AIRCRAFT FLEW INTO TERRAIN AND IMPACTED GROUND.(.4) ON NOVEMBER 8, 1998, ABOUT 1640 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 172N, N4696G, COLLIDED WITH TREES AND MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN NEAR LIMA, SOUTH CAROLINA. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED BY THE REGISTERED OWNER UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CFR PART 91, AND VISUAL FLIGHT RULES. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC) PREVAILED AT THE ACCIDENT SITE, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT. THERE WERE MINOR INJURIES TO THE OWNER/PRIVATE PILOT, NO INJURIES TO THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, AND THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED IN HENDERSONVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA, ABOUT 1630 DESTINED FOR GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA. ACCORDING TO THE STUDENT PILOT, THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED HENDERSVILLE AIRPORT WITH HIMSELF IN THE LEFT SEAT AND THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR IN THE RIGHT SEAT. THE STUDENT PILOT WAS ADVISED THAT THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR WOULD TAKE OVER IF IMC CONDTIONS WERE ENCOUNTERED DURING THE FLIGHT. THE STUDENT PILOT WAS AT THE CONTROLS AS THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING NAVIGATED BETWEEN MOUNTAINS FOLLOWING A MAJOR HIGHWAY. ACCORDING TOT HE STUDENT, HE WAS ADVISED TO STAY BELOW THE LOWERING OVERCAST AND FOLLOW HIGHWAY 25 TO GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA. AFTER FOLLOWING A BEND IN THE HIGHWAY, IMC WAS ENCOUNTERED AND THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR TOOK OVER AS PILOT-IN-COMMAND. A CLIMB WAS INITIATED THOUGH IMC, ON COURSE, IN ORDER TO ATTAIN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS ABOVE THE LOWERED CEILING AND MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. SHORTLY AFTER INITIATING THE CLIMB, THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TREES AND MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR STATED, "HE FAILED TO RECALL THAT THE HIGHWAY, AND THE VALLEY, DEVIATED TO THE WEST. NORMALLY THEY WOULD NOT DESCEND BELOW THE TOPS OF THE MOUNTAINS FLYING THIS ROUTE, BUT ALLOWED THEMSELVES TO DESCEND RATHER THAN TURN AROUND WHEN THE CLOUD CEILING LOWERED." THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR STATED THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILURES WITH THE AIRPLANE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N4696G · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.