# NTSB BFO93LA156: Cessna 172P, N50927, Pembroke, VA, September 4, 1993 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: September 4, 1993, 12:40 local (16:40 UTC) - Place: Pembroke, VA - Coordinates: 37.32064, -80.629882 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.3206&lon=-80.6299&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 1 fatal, 3 serious - Status: Completed, report July 25, 1994 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 8804 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=BFO93LA156 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/8804/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/BFO93LA156 ## Probable cause THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALTITUDE WHILE MANUEVERING IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight collision with object, maneuvering - turn to reverse direction - terrain condition - mountainous/hilly - object - tree(s) - proper altitude - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - In flight collision with terrain/water, descent - uncontrolled ## Analysis THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS FLYING THE AIRPLANE OVER CLIMBING MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN WITH THREE PASSENGERS ON BOARD. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE DID NOT THINK THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE WAS DEVELOPING ENOUGH POWER TO MAKE IT TO THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN SO HE INITIATED A LEFT 180-DEGREE TURN TO GO BACK DOWN THE MOUNTIAN'S SIDE. DURING THE TURN, THE AIRPLANE LOST ALTITUDE AND THE AIRPLANE'S LEFT WING IMPACTED A TREE. THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO DESCEND THROUGH THE TREES AND CAME TO REST INVERTED. THE PILOT STATED AFTER THE ACCIDENT THAT THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS OF AN ENGINE PROBLEM IN THE COCKPIT PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT AND HE DID NOT THINK THERE WERE ANY ENGINE OR AIRFRAME ANOMALIES PRIOR TO IMPACTING THE TREE. ## Factual narrative On Saturday, September 4, 1993, at 1240 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172P, N50927, operated by Air Chesterfield Inc., located in Chesterfield, Virginia, and piloted by William Rosbe of Richmond, Virginia, collided with sloping terrain near Smith Mountain Lake Resort, Pembroke, Virginia. The pilot and two passengers received serious injuries. One passenger, seated in the rear left seat, was fatally injured. The airplane was destroyed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The local personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The pilot reported that he was flying the airplane over mountainous terrain towards the Smith Mountain Lake Resort at about 3,000 feet mean sea level. The pilot wrote on his accident report form, "About half way up the mountain, traveling at about 80 knots, I concluded that the engine was not developing enough power so that we could safely climb over the top. I slowed the aircraft to 60 knots and turned it in a 30-degree turn to the left to proceed back down the mountain. Within a very short time-probably less than 30 seconds-and about 90 degrees through the turn we struck trees, and the aircraft fell to the ground...." During a phone interview with the pilot, the pilot stated that there were no airframe or engine anomalies noted prior to the collision with the tree. A witness, located at her home near the accident site, stated that she saw the airplane prior to the accident. She stated, "I heard the plane heading up towards the lake. I thought he was very low, less than 500 feet above the trees. He went behind the trees and I lost sight of him...." The airplane wreckage was examined by a Federal Aviation Safety Inspector on September 4, 1993. The on scene examination of the accident site revealed the airplane struck the top of a tree with its left wing and continued to descend through the trees in a steep left bank turn. The airplane came to rest inverted. No airframe or engine anomalies were noted. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N50927](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N50927-1993-11-18), registration cancelled 1993-11-18, S/N 17274235 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 172P - Registry model: [Cessna 172P](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172p) (registry code 2072436) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 17274235 - Airframe hours: 5232 - Engines: Lycoming O-320-D2J 160 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Air Chesterfield Inc. - Registered owner: Cn Young Limited - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, June 19, 1993, 96 hours before - Departed: BCB, BLACKSBURG, VA - Destination: BCB ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 49; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, expired; seat: left; flight hours: 70 total, 30 in this make and model, 48 as pilot in command, 6 in the last 90 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 260° at 4 knots - Visibility: 15 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 4,500 ft overcast - Temperature: 73 °F, dew point 70 °F - Altimeter: 29.00 inHg - Observed at: ROA, 10 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19930904033089A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19930904033089A), Sep 4, 1993: Cessna 172P, Pembroke, VA, Destroyed, 1 fatal. Unable to outclimb rising terrain at low altitude. Turned away to reverse course. Left wing struck trees. Crashed. From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.