20160825015309A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 172N · Terre Haute, IN · August 25, 2016

Date
August 25, 2016 · 19:05 local
Place
Terre Haute, IN
Airport
Sky King Airport
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N17SK
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN16FA333
Reported as
Cessna 172N
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
1
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot

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.

On August 25, 2016 about 1905 eastern standard time, (EST) (2305Z) a Cessna 172N, N17SK was on approach to runway 26 at Sky King Airport, (3I3) near Terre Haute Indiana. The aircraft departed controlled flight while on the approach and impacted trees and partially embedded in the roof of a home on the final approach path. There were two private pilots on board the aircraft. Both occupants were seriously injured; one resulted in a fatal injury eight days later. No ground injuries were reported. There was substantial damage to the aircraft and the roof of the home. The aircraft was registered to and operated by a private individual under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91. Visual flight rules prevailed (VFR) and there was no flight plan on file. The flight departed from Sky King Airport (3I3) and was local in nature returning to the same airport.

The ^owner^ stated there was an interested party in purchasing his Cessna 172. He said around 1730 local time, August 25th, 2016 that they met at Sky King Airport (3I3) to fly the aircraft. They departed Sky King Airport around 1830 for edgar county airport (prg), where the ^owner^ made a full stop landing on runway 27, taxied back, and took off for Sky King Airport. The ^owner^ said they entered the pattern from the north on a crosswind entry for runway 26. The approach and landing was uneventful. The ^owner^ said he was going to fuel the airplane and hanger it. The prospective buyer asked if he could fly the airplane. The ^owner^ said he thought about it then agreed. According to the ^owner^ they swapped seats but not headsets. The takeoff was uneventful and the prospective buyer turned crosswind at 800'. The ^owner^ said they were opposite the "numbers" for runway 26 when the prospective buyer throttled back to 1700 RPM, applied carb heat and extended the flaps to 10 degrees. In the interview, the ^owner^ said they normally turn base leg at 1500' and they were at 1400. He stated they normally turned final approach at 1300' and they were at 1200. The ^owner^ stated he got the feeling they were slow as they turned on to final approach. He said he lost sight of the runway told the prospective buyer, "you need to add power and lower the nose for speed". He stated that was the last thing he remembered..

As the FAA filed it

ON AUGUST 25, 2016 ABOUT 1905 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, (EST) (2305Z) A CESSNA 172N, N17SK WAS ON APPROACH TO RUNWAY 26 AT SKY KING AIRPORT, (3I3) NEAR TERRE HAUTE INDIANA. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED CONTROLLED FLIGHT WHILE ON THE APPROACH AND IMPACTED TREES AND PARTIALLY EMBEDDED IN THE ROOF OF A HOME ON THE FINAL APPROACH PATH. THERE WERE TWO PRIVATE PILOTS ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT. BOTH OCCUPANTS WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED; ONE RESULTED IN A FATAL INJURY EIGHT DAYS LATER. NO GROUND INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THERE WAS SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT AND THE ROOF OF THE HOME. THE AIRCRAFT WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91. VISUAL FLIGHT RULES PREVAILED (VFR) AND THERE WAS NO FLIGHT PLAN ON FILE. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED FROM SKY KING AIRPORT (3I3) AND WAS LOCAL IN NATURE RETURNING TO THE SAME AIRPORT.

THE ^OWNER^ STATED THERE WAS AN INTERESTED PARTY IN PURCHASING HIS CESSNA 172. HE SAID AROUND 1730 LOCAL TIME, AUGUST 25TH, 2016 THAT THEY MET AT SKY KING AIRPORT (3I3) TO FLY THE AIRCRAFT. THEY DEPARTED SKY KING AIRPORT AROUND 1830 FOR EDGAR COUNTY AIRPORT (PRG), WHERE THE ^OWNER^ MADE A FULL STOP LANDING ON RUNWAY 27, TAXIED BACK, AND TOOK OFF FOR SKY KING AIRPORT. THE ^OWNER^ SAID THEY ENTERED THE PATTERN FROM THE NORTH ON A CROSSWIND ENTRY FOR RUNWAY 26. THE APPROACH AND LANDING WAS UNEVENTFUL. THE ^OWNER^ SAID HE WAS GOING TO FUEL THE AIRPLANE AND HANGER IT. THE PROSPECTIVE BUYER ASKED IF HE COULD FLY THE AIRPLANE. THE ^OWNER^ SAID HE THOUGHT ABOUT IT THEN AGREED. ACCORDING TO THE ^OWNER^ THEY SWAPPED SEATS BUT NOT HEADSETS. THE TAKEOFF WAS UNEVENTFUL AND THE PROSPECTIVE BUYER TURNED CROSSWIND AT 800'. THE ^OWNER^ SAID THEY WERE OPPOSITE THE "NUMBERS" FOR RUNWAY 26 WHEN THE PROSPECTIVE BUYER THROTTLED BACK TO 1700 RPM, APPLIED CARB HEAT AND EXTENDED THE FLAPS TO 10 DEGREES. IN THE INTERVIEW, THE ^OWNER^ SAID THEY NORMALLY TURN BASE LEG AT 1500' AND THEY WERE AT 1400. HE STATED THEY NORMALLY TURNED FINAL APPROACH AT 1300' AND THEY WERE AT 1200. THE ^OWNER^ STATED HE GOT THE FEELING THEY WERE SLOW AS THEY TURNED ON TO FINAL APPROACH. HE SAID HE LOST SIGHT OF THE RUNWAY TOLD THE PROSPECTIVE BUYER, "YOU NEED TO ADD POWER AND LOWER THE NOSE FOR SPEED". HE STATED THAT WAS THE LAST THING HE REMEMBERED..

NTSB investigation

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