20030708014229A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Cessna 172S · Dallas, TX · July 8, 2003

Date
July 8, 2003 · 11:44 local
Place
Dallas, TX
Airport
Addison Airport
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N166ME
NTSB investigation
NTSBFTW03FA182
Reported as
Cessna 172S
Reported engine
Continental IO360*
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
2

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) On July 8, 2003, approximately 1144 central daylight time, a Cessna 172S single-engine airplane, N166ME, registered to flightprocedure, inc., of denton, Texas was destroyed when it impacted terrain during a forced landing following a reported in-flight collision with a bird. The flight instructor and student pilot sustained fatal injuries. The instructional flight was operated by monarch air, Addison, Texas, under 14 code of federal regulations part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed. The local flight originated from Addison Airport (ADS), Addison, Texas, approximately 1135. According to preliminary radar and communications from Dallas-fort worth air route traffic control center (ARTCC), the aircraft departed ADS and was en-route to a designated company practice area. ARTCC received the following radio communication transmissions: at 1143:37, 166ME transmitted; "mayday, mayday, mayday, regional approach 166ME, we're going down." At 1143:42, ARTCC transmitted; "166ME, regional approach, what's your position and what can I do for ya?" At 1143:46, 166ME transmitted; "yay, send somebody to pick us up, I think we're going to be fine, weah hit ah bird, but ah we got ah, go down, we can't keep it straight with the power on, we're right up here south of 380" at 1143:58, ARTCC transmitted; "roger sir, I am showing a, ah about two miles west of aero country airport, is that you?" At 1144:02, 166ME transmitted; "that's me we're going down now, I'm going to disconnect radio contact" at 1144:06, ARTCC transmitted; "6ME, can you tell me your type aircraft, and how many on board?" No further radio transmissions were received from 166ME. The airplane impacted a soft field approximately 2 miles west of the aero country airport, mckinney, Texas. The wreckage energy path measured approximately 60 feet in length, and the airplane came to rest upright on a measured magnetic heading of 120 degrees at an elevation of approximately 800 feet. Examination of the wreckage by the FAA and NTSB revealed the engine was partially separated from the firewall, the left wing was separated at the wing attach points, and the left and right wings displayed leading edge damage. Flight control continuity was established from the cockpit to all flight control surfaces. The flaps were found extended approximately 20 degrees. Damage consistent with abirdstrike was found approximately 12 inches outboard of the left wing landing/taxi light.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON JULY 8, 2003, APPROXIMATELY 1144 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 172S SINGLE-ENGINE AIRPLANE, N166ME, REGISTERED TO FLIGHTPROCEDURE, INC., OF DENTON, TEXAS WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED TERRAIN DURING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A REPORTED IN-FLIGHT COLLISION WITH A BIRD. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT PILOT SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. THE INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT WAS OPERATED BY MONARCH AIR, ADDISON, TEXAS, UNDER 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. THE LOCAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM ADDISON AIRPORT (ADS), ADDISON, TEXAS, APPROXIMATELY 1135. ACCORDING TO PRELIMINARY RADAR AND COMMUNICATIONS FROM DALLAS-FORT WORTH AIR ROUTE TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTER (ARTCC), THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED ADS AND WAS EN-ROUTE TO A DESIGNATED COMPANY PRACTICE AREA. ARTCC RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING RADIO COMMUNICATION TRANSMISSIONS: AT 1143:37, 166ME TRANSMITTED; "MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY, REGIONAL APPROACH 166ME, WE'RE GOING DOWN." AT 1143:42, ARTCC TRANSMITTED; "166ME, REGIONAL APPROACH, WHAT'S YOUR POSITION AND WHAT CAN I DO FOR YA?" AT 1143:46, 166ME TRANSMITTED; "YAY, SEND SOMEBODY TO PICK US UP, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO BE FINE, WEAH HIT AH BIRD, BUT AH WE GOT AH, GO DOWN, WE CAN'T KEEP IT STRAIGHT WITH THE POWER ON, WE'RE RIGHT UP HERE SOUTH OF 380" AT 1143:58, ARTCC TRANSMITTED; "ROGER SIR, I AM SHOWING A, AH ABOUT TWO MILES WEST OF AERO COUNTRY AIRPORT, IS THAT YOU?" AT 1144:02, 166ME TRANSMITTED; "THAT'S ME WE'RE GOING DOWN NOW, I'M GOING TO DISCONNECT RADIO CONTACT" AT 1144:06, ARTCC TRANSMITTED; "6ME, CAN YOU TELL ME YOUR TYPE AIRCRAFT, AND HOW MANY ON BOARD?" NO FURTHER RADIO TRANSMISSIONS WERE RECEIVED FROM 166ME. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED A SOFT FIELD APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES WEST OF THE AERO COUNTRY AIRPORT, MCKINNEY, TEXAS. THE WRECKAGE ENERGY PATH MEASURED APPROXIMATELY 60 FEET IN LENGTH, AND THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST UPRIGHT ON A MEASURED MAGNETIC HEADING OF 120 DEGREES AT AN ELEVATION OF APPROXIMATELY 800 FEET. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE BY THE FAA AND NTSB REVEALED THE ENGINE WAS PARTIALLY SEPARATED FROM THE FIREWALL, THE LEFT WING WAS SEPARATED AT THE WING ATTACH POINTS, AND THE LEFT AND RIGHT WINGS DISPLAYED LEADING EDGE DAMAGE. FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED FROM THE COCKPIT TO ALL FLIGHT CONTROL SURFACES. THE FLAPS WERE FOUND EXTENDED APPROXIMATELY 20 DEGREES. DAMAGE CONSISTENT WITH ABIRDSTRIKE WAS FOUND APPROXIMATELY 12 INCHES OUTBOARD OF THE LEFT WING LANDING/TAXI LIGHT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.