20040929024879A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Cessna 172L · Gadsden, AL · September 29, 2004

Date: September 29, 2004 · 14:30 local
Place: Gadsden, AL
Phase of flight: Descent
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N4336Q
NTSB investigation: NTSBATL04LA195
Reported as: Cessna 172L
Reported engine: Lycoming O320E2D
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 2
Pilot’s flight hours: 605 total241 in this make and model171 in the last 90 days

N4336QRegistration cancelled Sep 27, 2005 · Cessna 172LS/N 17260236 · Built 1971 Airframe modelCessna 172L 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 aircraft was witnessed to be flying low down the coosa river followed by a large pop sound. Power lines that cross the river in that area were found broken and missing. The wreckage was located in the coosa river with the power line around the right lower landing gear strut. The flight instructor and the student pilot were fatally injured.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE AIRCRAFT WAS WITNESSED TO BE FLYING LOW DOWN THE COOSA RIVER FOLLOWED BY A LARGE POP SOUND. POWER LINES THAT CROSS THE RIVER IN THAT AREA WERE FOUND BROKEN AND MISSING. THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED IN THE COOSA RIVER WITH THE POWER LINE AROUND THE RIGHT LOWER LANDING GEAR STRUT. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND THE STUDENT PILOT WERE 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 ATL04LA195Accident · 2 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportGadsden, ALThe flight instructors failure to maintain clearance and his inadequate visual lookout while flying low over a river resulting in an in-flight collision with a wire.Sep 29, 2004 · Destroyed