- Date
- October 9, 1987, 14:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Lowmoor, VA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N3075ECessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 26, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 11350
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.
In flight collision with terrain/water
In-flight planning/decision - inadequateCause
Low pass - initiatedFactor
Airspeed - inadequateCause
Terrain condition - mountainous/hillyFactor
Analysis
The acft was involved in powerline patrol over mountainous terrain at low altitude. The plt made a climbing right turn to avoid a ridge and went into a valley where he was boxed in by two ridges. He unsuccessfully tried to outclimb one of the ridges before he collided with it.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3075E
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17271429
- Airframe hours
- 1,462
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Hanover Aviation Co.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 1, 1987 · 23 hours before
- Departed
- ROA · Roanoke, 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
- 67
- 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
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 21,300 total · 510 in this make and model · 20,600 as pilot in command · 265 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 135° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ROA, 28 nm away