20030214005299A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Cessna 172N · Wellington, KS · February 14, 2003

Date: February 14, 2003 · 21:00 local
Place: Wellington, KS
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N5898E
NTSB investigation: NTSBCHI03FA071
Reported as: Cessna 172N
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Pilot’s flight hours: 152 total

N5898ERegistration cancelled Apr 18, 2005 · Cessna 172NS/N 17271955 · Built 1978 Airframe modelCessna 172N Engine 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.

(-23) The pilot continued flight into marginal VFR conditions. He encountered lowering ceilings and requested assistance from wichita approach control. The aircraft was given a suggested heading of 090 degrees, which was not acknowledged. The aircraft disappeared from radar shortly thereafter. The wreckage was discovered the next day. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot was fatally injured.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT CONTINUED FLIGHT INTO MARGINAL VFR CONDITIONS. HE ENCOUNTERED LOWERING CEILINGS AND REQUESTED ASSISTANCE FROM WICHITA APPROACH CONTROL. THE AIRCRAFT WAS GIVEN A SUGGESTED HEADING OF 090 DEGREES, WHICH WAS NOT ACKNOWLEDGED. THE AIRCRAFT DISAPPEARED FROM RADAR SHORTLY THEREAFTER. THE WRECKAGE WAS DISCOVERED THE NEXT DAY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED AND THE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED.

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 CHI03FA071Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportWellington, KSSpatial disorientation experienced by the pilot and his subsequent failure to maintain control of the aircraft. Contributing factors were the pilot's failure to obtain an updated preflight weather briefing prior to the return flight, his attempted flight into…Feb 15, 2003 · Destroyed