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19990825047189A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Cessna 172N · Dyke, VA · August 25, 1999

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 25, 1999 · 09:40 local
Place
Dyke, VA
Phase of flight
Normal Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N733DH
NTSB investigation
NTSBNYC99FA214
Reported as
Cessna 172N
Reported engine
Lycoming O320*
People aboard
4
Fatal injuries
4
Pilot’s flight hours
46 total15 in the last 90 days
N733DHRegistration cancelled Jun 23, 2000 · Cessna 172NS/N 17268211Airframe modelCessna 172N

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.

(.4)When checking out the rental airplane, the pilot told the dispatcher that the clouds along his route were at 3,100 feet, that he would be flying at 2,500 feet, and that the weather at his destination was clear. He then departed, the flight encountered instrument meteorological conditions and the airplane impacted a 3,280-foot mountain. The wreckage was located on a 30-degree slope, about 2,370 feet above sea level. The mountain was part of a chain, with maximum local elevations ranging from about 2,500 feet to over 3,200 feet above sea level. The pilot had received his private pilot certification less than 3 weeks earlier and was not instrument rated. (-23)aircraft was fliyng from newport mews (phf) to shenandoah valley (shd) in poor weather that was deteriorating. The airplane impacted the 3200FT flat top mountain at approx. 2300 ft in level flight. The left wing was torn off by a tree the airplane then rolled to the left and lost the nose gear and right main against another tree before impacting the face of the mountain at the base of a tree and burned. The pilot and his son plus the female passenger and her daughter were killed. Weather was IFR in rain at the scene.

As the FAA filed it

(.4)WHEN CHECKING OUT THE RENTAL AIRPLANE, THE PILOT TOLD THE DISPATCHER THAT THE CLOUDS ALONG HIS ROUTE WERE AT 3,100 FEET, THAT HE WOULD BE FLYING AT 2,500 FEET, AND THAT THE WEATHER AT HIS DESTINATION WAS CLEAR. HE THEN DEPARTED, THE FLIGHT ENCOUNTERED INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED A 3,280-FOOT MOUNTAIN. THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED ON A 30-DEGREE SLOPE, ABOUT 2,370 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL. THE MOUNTAIN WAS PART OF A CHAIN, WITH MAXIMUM LOCAL ELEVATIONS RANGING FROM ABOUT 2,500 FEET TO OVER 3,200 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL. THE PILOT HAD RECEIVED HIS PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATION LESS THAN 3 WEEKS EARLIER AND WAS NOT INSTRUMENT RATED. (-23)AIRCRAFT WAS FLIYNG FROM NEWPORT MEWS (PHF) TO SHENANDOAH VALLEY (SHD) IN POOR WEATHER THAT WAS DETERIORATING. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE 3200FT FLAT TOP MOUNTAIN AT APPROX. 2300 FT IN LEVEL FLIGHT. THE LEFT WING WAS TORN OFF BY A TREE THE AIRPLANE THEN ROLLED TO THE LEFT AND LOST THE NOSE GEAR AND RIGHT MAIN AGAINST ANOTHER TREE BEFORE IMPACTING THE FACE OF THE MOUNTAIN AT THE BASE OF A TREE AND BURNED. THE PILOT AND HIS SON PLUS THE FEMALE PASSENGER AND HER DAUGHTER WERE KILLED. WEATHER WAS IFR IN RAIN AT THE SCENE.

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 NYC99FA214Accident · 4 fatalField investigationFinal reportDyke, VAThe pilot's inadvertent flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in his inability to see the rapidly rising terrain. A factor was the pilot's inaccurate evaluation of the weather.Aug 25, 1999 · Destroyed