20041230033839A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Cessna 172N · Mount Gilead, OH · December 30, 2004

Date: December 30, 2004 · 10:00 local
Place: Mount Gilead, OH
Airport: Morrow County Airport
Phase of flight: Descent
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N737AZ
NTSB investigation: NTSBNYC05LA033
Reported as: Cessna 172N
Reported engine: Lycoming O320H2AD
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 3
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,000 total2,000 in this make and model22 in the last 90 days

N737AZRegistration cancelled Apr 23, 2012 · Cessna 172NS/N 17269280 · Built 1977 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) Pilot arrived at airport for sightseeing flight with two (2) passengers as visibility was rapidly dropping due to light mist and fog. Approximately ten (10) minutes after departure three (3) witnesses stated they heard the aircraft fly over low and fast which prompted them to leave the hangar and see if there was a problem. These individual then stated the aircraft emerged from the west approximately 150 feet above the ground in a high speed descent, right wing low and impacted the ground off the side of the runway. Upon arrival at scene there were no survivors.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT ARRIVED AT AIRPORT FOR SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT WITH TWO (2) PASSENGERS AS VISIBILITY WAS RAPIDLY DROPPING DUE TO LIGHT MIST AND FOG. APPROXIMATELY TEN (10) MINUTES AFTER DEPARTURE THREE (3) WITNESSES STATED THEY HEARD THE AIRCRAFT FLY OVER LOW AND FAST WHICH PROMPTED THEM TO LEAVE THE HANGAR AND SEE IF THERE WAS A PROBLEM. THESE INDIVIDUAL THEN STATED THE AIRCRAFT EMERGED FROM THE WEST APPROXIMATELY 150 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND IN A HIGH SPEED DESCENT, RIGHT WING LOW AND IMPACTED THE GROUND OFF THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. UPON ARRIVAL AT SCENE THERE WERE NO SURVIVORS.

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 NYC05LA033Accident · 3 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportMount Gilead, OHThe pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane following an inadvertent encounter with instrument meteorological conditions. A factor in the accident was the rapidly deteriorating weather.Dec 30, 2004 · Substantial damage