- Date
- April 20, 1991, 09:30 local (14:30 UTC)
- Place
- Dunlap, TN
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5738JCessna 172N
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 24, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910420011649A
- Case key
- 8320
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot-in-command's inadequate preflight planning/preparation, his attempted VFR flight into IFR conditions, and his subsequent failure to maintain a proper altitude. Factors in the accident were: the mountainous terrain, the foggy, low ceiling conditions along the route of flight.
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 instrument-rated pilot and pilot-rated passenger were on a personal flight to a vfr-only airport. Their flight required them to cross over a mountain ridge en route. Low ceilings, with light drizzle and fog, were reported near their destination airport. Witnesses on top of the mountain ridge heard the drone of an engine getting closer until a crash was heard. A witness who was first on the scene reported that forward visibility on the ridge was about 75 yards. Investigation revealed that the airplane impacted the side of the ridge on a direct heading to the destination airport. The damage indicated a level flight path, with wings level. The pilot did not file a flight plan, did not activate one en route, and had no voice communications with ATC. No evidence of mechanical failure or malfunction was found.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5738J
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17273830
- Airframe hours
- 1,283
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Imperial Fabricating Company
- Registered owner
- Imperial Fabricating Company
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 3, 1990 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- 1M5 · Portland, TN
- Destination
- IAO · Chattanooga, TN
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
- 45
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 8,736 total · 8,543 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 700 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CHA, 21 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.