- Date
- June 30, 1984, 09:25 local (14:25 UTC)
- Place
- Grenada, MS
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N4650LCessna 172G
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19840630029019A
- Case key
- 6488
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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.
Analysis
During arrival to an uncontrolled arpt, the plt made an apch while following about 1/4 mi behind a UH-1 helicopter. At that time, there was a quartering head wind at about 4 KTS. While on final apch at an alt of about 200 ft AGL, the Cessna 172 encountered severe turbulence & the plt was unable to maintain flt. Witnesses reported that the Cessna went nearly inverted after encountering wake turbulence from the helicopter. The Cessna impacted the ground about 500 ft short of the rwy & was damaged. The plt stated that he was not aware that helicopters produced wake turbulence. The aim addresses helicopter downwash & rotor vortices.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4650L
- Reported as
- Cessna 172G
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17254645
- Airframe hours
- 2,554
- Engine
- Continental O-300-D, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- James T. Blanks & J. H. Cruse
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 1, 1984
- Departed
- HKS · Jackson, MS
- Destination
- M42
- Airport
- M42 · Grenada Muni., runway 31, 4,845 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- 55
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 860 total · 812 in this make and model · 786 as pilot in command · 74 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GWO, 50 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.