What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 16, 2022, at 1745 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172M, privacy data omitted, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Brevard, north carolina. The pilot and two passengers were seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a title 14 code of federal regulations part 91 personal flight.
According to the pilot, they were flying over a camp dropping candy from the airplane. He stated that they were ?a couple hundred feet? Above ground level. The next thing he remembers is he woke up in the hospital.
According to the passenger, he stated after they dropped the candy from the airplane, they flew around the camp and took some pictures. The passenger remembered they were descending, and he made a comment to the pilot that they are getting close to the treetops and he needed to apply power and pull up. The pilot stated he was working on it. The next thing he remembers was hitting some trees and waking up next to the airplane on the ground. He did state the engine was running the entire time.
Postaccident examination of the airplane was found inverted on the ground. Further examination revealed prop was under power by a signature of prop strike on tree trunk that was severed approximately two feet from the ground at the point of impact. The tail section was partially separated from the fuselage and the wing was separated from the fuselage, resulting in substantial damage. The instrument panel instruments were all dislodged from the housing and scattered around the cabin.
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 16, 2022, AT 1745 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 172M, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT NEAR BREVARD, NORTH CAROLINA. THE PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED AS A TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT.
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THEY WERE FLYING OVER A CAMP DROPPING CANDY FROM THE AIRPLANE. HE STATED THAT THEY WERE ?A COUPLE HUNDRED FEET? ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. THE NEXT THING HE REMEMBERS IS HE WOKE UP IN THE HOSPITAL.
ACCORDING TO THE PASSENGER, HE STATED AFTER THEY DROPPED THE CANDY FROM THE AIRPLANE, THEY FLEW AROUND THE CAMP AND TOOK SOME PICTURES. THE PASSENGER REMEMBERED THEY WERE DESCENDING, AND HE MADE A COMMENT TO THE PILOT THAT THEY ARE GETTING CLOSE TO THE TREETOPS AND HE NEEDED TO APPLY POWER AND PULL UP. THE PILOT STATED HE WAS WORKING ON IT. THE NEXT THING HE REMEMBERS WAS HITTING SOME TREES AND WAKING UP NEXT TO THE AIRPLANE ON THE GROUND. HE DID STATE THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING THE ENTIRE TIME.
POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE WAS FOUND INVERTED ON THE GROUND. FURTHER EXAMINATION REVEALED PROP WAS UNDER POWER BY A SIGNATURE OF PROP STRIKE ON TREE TRUNK THAT WAS SEVERED APPROXIMATELY TWO FEET FROM THE GROUND AT THE POINT OF IMPACT. THE TAIL SECTION WAS PARTIALLY SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE AND THE WING WAS SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE, RESULTING IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL INSTRUMENTS WERE ALL DISLODGED FROM THE HOUSING AND SCATTERED AROUND THE CABIN.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.