# Accident 20150911016489A: Cessna 172P, Riegelwood, NC, September 11, 2015

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 11, 2015, 15:10 local time
- Place: Riegelwood, NC
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 34.3431° N, 78.3031° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.3431&lon=-78.3031&mi=10
- Aircraft: N52445, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N52445-2018-03-30) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 172P (registry code 2072436, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172p) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172P
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Unknown or foreign certificate
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA15FA351](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA15FA351) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20150911016489A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF FROM A PRIVATELY OWNED GRASS AIRSTRIP FLOWN BY A UNCERTIFICATED PILOT. THE TAKEOFF APPEARED TO BE NORMAL. THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBED ON A NORTHERNLY HEADING AND CRASHED APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES NORTH OF THE DEPARTING AIRSTRIP. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED IN A CLEAR CUT AREA FULL OF TREE LIMBS AND STUMPS AT A HIGH VELOCITY LOW ANGLE OF IMPACT. THE WING FLAPS WERE IN THE UP POSITION AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS CONSIDERED DESTROYED.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB ERA15FA351](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA15FA351), Sep 11, 2015: Cessna 172 (N52445), Riegelwood, NC, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The noncertificated pilot’s failure to maintain adequate clearance from terrain for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence.

## Other reports on N52445 (1)

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

- [Incident 19941022038859I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19941022038859I), Oct 22, 1994: Cessna 172P (N52445), Wilmington, NC, Minor damage. Struck a deer during takeoff roll.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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