- Date
- March 20, 1982, 01:00 local (06:00 UTC)
- Place
- Francisco, NC
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N738QSCessna 172N
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report March 20, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820320004889A
- Case key
- 70736
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Analysis
The non-instrument rated pilot received a partial weather briefing by telephone, but hung up when he obtained the information that he requested. FBO personnel stated that he looked and acted tired before taking off at 0022 EST. Subsequently, the plane was reported as missing. An airborne search was started at 0700 and the plane was found at 0730. A local resident had heard a crash at about 0100, but he thought it was an automobile on a nearby road. An investigation revealed there were low ceilings with fog and haze in the area. An examination of the wreckage revealedthat the plane had crashed in a steep dive.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N738QS
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17270160
- Airframe hours
- 5,473
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Howard Leslee Hall
- Registered owner
- Howard Leslee Hall
- Departed
- GSO · Greensboro, NC
- Destination
- BCB · Christiansburg, VA
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 37
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 373 total · 317 in this make and model · 323 as pilot in command · 24 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 60° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 500 ft overcast
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- INT, 33 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N738QS · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.