- Date
- September 4, 1992, 19:45 local (23:45 UTC)
- Place
- Tuckahoe, NJ
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3847SCessna 172E
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report April 7, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920904035259A
- Case key
- 11841
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
VFR flight by the pilot into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), and his failure to maintain control of the aircraft due to spatial disorientation. Factors related to the accident were: the light conditions at dusk (or darkness), and the pilot's lack of instrument experience.
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 pilot received a weather briefing at 1630 EST for the flight. At the time, he indicated that he would depart at 1900 EST with an en route time of 45 minutes. He indicated to a family member that he would arrive at the destination between 1900 and 1930 EST. The pilot departed at an undetermined time. The airplane was reported overdue and search authorities located the airplane two days later. The airplane crashed in a swamp area, about 8 miles west of the destination airport. The airplane struck the ground in a steep right bank attitude. The wreckage was strewn a distance of about 300 feet. The weather in the area at 2000 EST was reported as 200 feet overcast and the visibility was 0.50 miles in fog. Examination of the airplane did not disclose evidence of a mechanical malfunction. The accident was presumed to have occurred at about 1945.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3847S
- Reported as
- Cessna 172E
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17251047
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- David L. Erb
- Registered owner
- David L. Erb
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- N99 · West Chester, PA
- Destination
- 26N · Ocean City, NJ
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
- 41
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 337 total · 207 in this make and model · 91 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 320° at 4 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- 200 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ACY, 999 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.