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20041124035489A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Cessna 172E · Rupert, WV · November 24, 2004

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Date
November 24, 2004
Place
Rupert, WV
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N3750S
Reported as
Cessna 172E
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
450 total150 in this make and model40 in the last 90 days
N3750SRegistration cancelled May 13, 2015 · Cessna 172ES/N 17250950 · Built 1963Airframe modelCessna 172EEngine modelContinental 0-300 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) Just prior to the accident the OAT was indicated in the aircraft as 35 degrees farenheit. The aircraft altitude was reported to be 4500 feet. A light mist was encountered by the pilot approximately 10 to 20 minutes north of kroa. This mist was reported to the pilot during the preflight weather briefing. The pilot reported that near Rupert, west Virginia the engine would not make full power and was missing. The pilot stated that he turned on the carburetor heat because he suspected carburetor ice due to the OAT and high humidity. The pilot stated that after no noticable change to engine performance he decided to find a suitable landing spot rather than risk not being able to find one enroute to summersville or lewisburg, west Virginia. Once a suitable landing area was spotted, the pilot landed the aircraft. On landing, the pilot swerved to avoid hitting a bulldozer, in doing so the aircraft slid off the wet dirt road and off of an embankment striking some trees which caused substantial damage to the aircraft.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) JUST PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT THE OAT WAS INDICATED IN THE AIRCRAFT AS 35 DEGREES FARENHEIT. THE AIRCRAFT ALTITUDE WAS REPORTED TO BE 4500 FEET. A LIGHT MIST WAS ENCOUNTERED BY THE PILOT APPROXIMATELY 10 TO 20 MINUTES NORTH OF KROA. THIS MIST WAS REPORTED TO THE PILOT DURING THE PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT NEAR RUPERT, WEST VIRGINIA THE ENGINE WOULD NOT MAKE FULL POWER AND WAS MISSING. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE TURNED ON THE CARBURETOR HEAT BECAUSE HE SUSPECTED CARBURETOR ICE DUE TO THE OAT AND HIGH HUMIDITY. THE PILOT STATED THAT AFTER NO NOTICABLE CHANGE TO ENGINE PERFORMANCE HE DECIDED TO FIND A SUITABLE LANDING SPOT RATHER THAN RISK NOT BEING ABLE TO FIND ONE ENROUTE TO SUMMERSVILLE OR LEWISBURG, WEST VIRGINIA. ONCE A SUITABLE LANDING AREA WAS SPOTTED, THE PILOT LANDED THE AIRCRAFT. ON LANDING, THE PILOT SWERVED TO AVOID HITTING A BULLDOZER, IN DOING SO THE AIRCRAFT SLID OFF THE WET DIRT ROAD AND OFF OF AN EMBANKMENT STRIKING SOME TREES WHICH CAUSED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT.