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20030316003239A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Cessna 172N · Foley, MN · March 16, 2003

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 16, 2003 · 16:00 local
Place
Foley, MN
Phase of flight
Low Level Operations
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N5315D
NTSB investigation
NTSBCHI03FA086
Reported as
Cessna 172N
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
3
Pilot’s flight hours
83 total83 in this make and model15 in the last 90 days
N5315DRegistration cancelled Jun 7, 2005 · Cessna 172NS/N 17272512 · Built 1979Airframe modelCessna 172NEngine 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) N5315D departed superior, Wisconsin (ksuw) for saint cloud, Minnesota (kstc) at 1457 local time on a VFR pleasure flight. The pilot received a fss weather briefing prior to flight, and was informed that "VFR flight is not recommended" due to deteriorating weather conditions from the west. The pilot activated his VFR flight plan at 1459 local time and continued towards his destination. During the flight plan activation, the fss briefer informed the pilot of N5315D of an AIRMET for IFR conditions at his destination. Witnesses informed FAA that N5315D circled the field that it crashed in for a few minutes, then plunged into the field, at a high speed with a high power setting at 1600 local time. The wreckage of N5315D was scattered across the field from west to east, with evidence of impact at a high speed at a high power setting. The weather at saint cloud, Minnesota, which is approximately ten miles southwest of the accident site, at the time of the accident was: ceiling of 900 feet overcast, visibility of six statute miles in mist, and the temperature/dewpoint was 08/07 degrees celsius, respectively.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) N5315D DEPARTED SUPERIOR, WISCONSIN (KSUW) FOR SAINT CLOUD, MINNESOTA (KSTC) AT 1457 LOCAL TIME ON A VFR PLEASURE FLIGHT. THE PILOT RECEIVED A FSS WEATHER BRIEFING PRIOR TO FLIGHT, AND WAS INFORMED THAT "VFR FLIGHT IS NOT RECOMMENDED" DUE TO DETERIORATING WEATHER CONDITIONS FROM THE WEST. THE PILOT ACTIVATED HIS VFR FLIGHT PLAN AT 1459 LOCAL TIME AND CONTINUED TOWARDS HIS DESTINATION. DURING THE FLIGHT PLAN ACTIVATION, THE FSS BRIEFER INFORMED THE PILOT OF N5315D OF AN AIRMET FOR IFR CONDITIONS AT HIS DESTINATION. WITNESSES INFORMED FAA THAT N5315D CIRCLED THE FIELD THAT IT CRASHED IN FOR A FEW MINUTES, THEN PLUNGED INTO THE FIELD, AT A HIGH SPEED WITH A HIGH POWER SETTING AT 1600 LOCAL TIME. THE WRECKAGE OF N5315D WAS SCATTERED ACROSS THE FIELD FROM WEST TO EAST, WITH EVIDENCE OF IMPACT AT A HIGH SPEED AT A HIGH POWER SETTING. THE WEATHER AT SAINT CLOUD, MINNESOTA, WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY TEN MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS: CEILING OF 900 FEET OVERCAST, VISIBILITY OF SIX STATUTE MILES IN MIST, AND THE TEMPERATURE/DEWPOINT WAS 08/07 DEGREES CELSIUS, RESPECTIVELY.

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 CHI03FA086Accident · 3 fatalField investigationFinal reportFoley, MNThe pilot's continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions which led to spatial disorientation and subsequent impact with the ground. Contributing factors was the pilot's lack of instrument rating, the pilot's disregard of the preflight…Mar 16, 2003 · Destroyed

Other reports on N5315D · 2

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

Incident 19990329003399ILevel Off Touchdown · Superior, WIAcft struck a deer with the nose gear on landing and sustained substantial damage. (-23) on 3/29/99 at approximately 1700 hours CST while commencing the approach to landing at suw, a small herd of deer crossed near the first third of runway 21. Just prior to…Mar 29, 1999 · Minor damageAccident 19890305003269ATouch And Go Landing · Superior, IDApplied brakes on landing with snow and ice patches on runway. Slid off into a snowbank.Mar 5, 1989 · Substantial damage