What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Ice began to form on the aircraft while in flight. So much ice built up that the aircraft would no longer hold altitude. While attempting an off airport emergency landing the plane flipped over onto it's back. The pilot received two weather briefings from flight service, on the day before at 2049Z and on the morning of the flight at 1146Z. The pilot stated that "weather was not a factor" in this accident. (.19) on December 3, 2002, at 1345 central standard time, a Cessna 172M single-engine airplane, N4470R, was substantially damaged when the airplane nosed over during a precautionary landing to an open field near Vici, Oklahoma. The private pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the 14 code of federal regulation part 91 flight. A weather briefing was received and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight. The cross-country flight originated from liberal, Kansas, at approximately 1030. The flight's destination was the wiley post international airport, near Oklahoma city. The pilot reported that while enroute, ice accumulated throughout the airframe and the pilot performed a n unscheduled landing at woodward, Oklahoma (wwr) to remove the ice. After partially removing some of the ice, the pilot departed woodward and again headed for Oklahoma city. After established in cruise flight, the pilot noted an indicated airspeed of 115 mph. The pilot stated soon after leveling off, the flight encountered freezing rain and structural ice continued to accumulate. Within the next 20 miles, the pilot observed the indicated airspeed decay to 100, then 90 and finally 80 mph. The pilot stated that he lowered the nose in order to maintain his airspeed at 80 mph and headed for the Vici municipal airport. At the point where the airplane was unable to maintain 80 mph, the pilot elected to perform a precautionary landing to an open field. During the landing roll, the nose gear collapsed after it went into a ground depression. The airplane nosed over coming to rest in the inverted position. The engine firewall sustained structural damage, a propeller blade was bent, and the top portion of the vertical stabilizer was crushed. Gage, Oklahoma (gag), located 30.4 nautical miles east southeast (103 degrees) of the accident site was the nearest weather reporting station to the accident site. At around the time of the accident, kgag was reporting calm winds, visibility 4 statute miles with freezing rain and haze, few clouds at 1,000 feet, a broken ceiling at 1,500 feet, and overcast at 2,800 feet. The temperature WAS28 degrees fahrenheit and the dew point was 27 degrees fahrenheit. The altimeter was reported as 30.23 inches of mercury.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ICE BEGAN TO FORM ON THE AIRCRAFT WHILE IN FLIGHT. SO MUCH ICE BUILT UP THAT THE AIRCRAFT WOULD NO LONGER HOLD ALTITUDE. WHILE ATTEMPTING AN OFF AIRPORT EMERGENCY LANDING THE PLANE FLIPPED OVER ONTO IT'S BACK. THE PILOT RECEIVED TWO WEATHER BRIEFINGS FROM FLIGHT SERVICE, ON THE DAY BEFORE AT 2049Z AND ON THE MORNING OF THE FLIGHT AT 1146Z. THE PILOT STATED THAT "WEATHER WAS NOT A FACTOR" IN THIS ACCIDENT. (.19) ON DECEMBER 3, 2002, AT 1345 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 172M SINGLE-ENGINE AIRPLANE, N4470R, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER DURING A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING TO AN OPEN FIELD NEAR VICI, OKLAHOMA. THE PRIVATE PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRPLANE, WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATION PART 91 FLIGHT. A WEATHER BRIEFING WAS RECEIVED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM LIBERAL, KANSAS, AT APPROXIMATELY 1030. THE FLIGHT'S DESTINATION WAS THE WILEY POST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, NEAR OKLAHOMA CITY. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHILE ENROUTE, ICE ACCUMULATED THROUGHOUT THE AIRFRAME AND THE PILOT PERFORMED A N UNSCHEDULED LANDING AT WOODWARD, OKLAHOMA (WWR) TO REMOVE THE ICE. AFTER PARTIALLY REMOVING SOME OF THE ICE, THE PILOT DEPARTED WOODWARD AND AGAIN HEADED FOR OKLAHOMA CITY. AFTER ESTABLISHED IN CRUISE FLIGHT, THE PILOT NOTED AN INDICATED AIRSPEED OF 115 MPH. THE PILOT STATED SOON AFTER LEVELING OFF, THE FLIGHT ENCOUNTERED FREEZING RAIN AND STRUCTURAL ICE CONTINUED TO ACCUMULATE. WITHIN THE NEXT 20 MILES, THE PILOT OBSERVED THE INDICATED AIRSPEED DECAY TO 100, THEN 90 AND FINALLY 80 MPH. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE LOWERED THE NOSE IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN HIS AIRSPEED AT 80 MPH AND HEADED FOR THE VICI MUNICIPAL AIRPORT. AT THE POINT WHERE THE AIRPLANE WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN 80 MPH, THE PILOT ELECTED TO PERFORM A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING TO AN OPEN FIELD. DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED AFTER IT WENT INTO A GROUND DEPRESSION. THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER COMING TO REST IN THE INVERTED POSITION. THE ENGINE FIREWALL SUSTAINED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE, A PROPELLER BLADE WAS BENT, AND THE TOP PORTION OF THE VERTICAL STABILIZER WAS CRUSHED. GAGE, OKLAHOMA (GAG), LOCATED 30.4 NAUTICAL MILES EAST SOUTHEAST (103 DEGREES) OF THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS THE NEAREST WEATHER REPORTING STATION TO THE ACCIDENT SITE. AT AROUND THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, KGAG WAS REPORTING CALM WINDS, VISIBILITY 4 STATUTE MILES WITH FREEZING RAIN AND HAZE, FEW CLOUDS AT 1,000 FEET, A BROKEN CEILING AT 1,500 FEET, AND OVERCAST AT 2,800 FEET. THE TEMPERATURE WAS28 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT AND THE DEW POINT WAS 27 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. THE ALTIMETER WAS REPORTED AS 30.23 INCHES OF MERCURY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.