- Date
- April 7, 1988, 09:55 local (13:55 UTC)
- Place
- Briceville, TN
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N46316Cessna 177RG
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 21, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880407008209A
- Case key
- 7734
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
The plt stated that he had departed coffeyville, KS on apr 5 for an airplane delivery ferry flt to lincolnton, NC he landed at cape girardeau and remained overnight due to enroute weather. He deptd cgi the following morning following a wx brief that indicated marginal conditions in the eastern portion of the flt. After an update, he attempted to climb over the reptd cloud tops of 15,000 ft. at 14,000 he noted the clouds still above and elected to fly between layers. After encountering a solid cloudbank, he found a hole and descended below the clouds. The cloud bases kept getting lower. After entering a valley and while flying up the valley, he noted the trees were in the clouds all around. He entered a climb and collided with trees at 3,500 ft MSL. VFR min altitude for the area was 3,900 ft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N46316
- Reported as
- Cessna 177RG
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 177RG1128
- Airframe hours
- 1,548
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A1B6D, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Ferry · Part 91
- Operator
- Dave L. Nicoll
- Registered owner
- Dave L Nicoll
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 1, 1987 · 17 hours before
- Departed
- CGI · Cape Girardeau, MO
- Destination
- 5N4 · Lincolnton, NC
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 28
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 429 total · 5 in this make and model · 258 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 225° at 20 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.