CHI03FA071

The aircraft was substantially damaged during an in-flight collision with terrain. The pilot encountered instrument meteorological weather conditions during a visual flight rules (VFR) flight and subsequently lost control of the aircraft. Weather conditions in the vicinity of the accident site were reported as 800 feet above ground level (agl) overcast. The pilot obtained VFR flight following enroute. Approximately 43 miles from his intended destination, the pilot reported to the controller, "I'm going to have to drop down . . . I went into cloud cover here [at] three thousand five hundred feet." The controller then notified the pilot that weather conditions in the vicinity of the intended destination were below VFR weather minimums. The pilot elected to divert to an alternate airport 14 miles east of the aircraft's position. This decision was based on an automated report, current at the time but taken nearly an hour earlier, of clear skies. An automated report for the alternate airport, coincidentally taken at the time of the accident, reported 800 feet agl broken. A pilot conducting practice instrument approaches in the area at the time reported conditions as overcast with tops about 3,000 feet mean sea level (msl). He noted that it was clear above the clouds and somewhat hazy. He recalled that there was "not much of a horizon" visible. A motorist driving on the interstate reported seeing the aircraft three times. On the third occasion he stated the aircraft flew across the roadway, perpendicular to it, descending at approximately a 45 degree angle relative to the horizon. He reported the aircraft was traveling at a "high rate of speed". He recalled thinking the aircraft was approaching to land. The motorist recalled the weather conditions as very windy and gusty, with a low overcast. According to the motorist, the cloud bases were "rugged", but visibility below the clouds was good. The pilot obtained a preflight weather briefing approximately four hours prior to initiating the accident flight, however no record of an update briefing was found. The pilot was a non-instrument rated private pilot. He had logged 35.0 hours of night flight time and 3.6 hours of simulated instrument time. No actual instrument flight time was recorded in his logbook. His most recently logged flight was nearly four months earlier. A post-accident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no anomalies consistent with a pre-impact failure.

History of flight

On February 14, 2003, approximately 1955 central standard time, a Cessna 172N, N5898E, piloted by a private pilot, was destroyed during an in-flight impact with terrain near Wellington, Kansas. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed in the area at the time of the accident. The flight was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 and was not on a flight plan. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The flight departed the Wiley Post Airport (PWA), Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, approximately 1745, with an intended destination of Augusta Municipal Airport (3AU), Augusta, Kansas.

An individual representing N5898E contacted the Wichita Flight Service Station (FSS) at 1405 and requested a weather briefing for the route from 3AU to Will Rogers World Airport (OKC), Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The pilot was told that conditions were generally VFR, with scattered clouds at 2,000 ~ 3,000 feet above ground level (agl) and winds gusting to 24 knots. This was the only briefing record with Wichita FSS. No record of a briefing prior to departure from PWA was found.

Two passengers accompanied the pilot from 3AU to PWA. Both individuals reported that it was an uneventful flight with relatively good weather. They stated that upon arrival at PWA, a line of clouds was visible to the northeast in the direction of Wichita. When one of the passengers remarked about the cloud line, the pilot reportedly said that the clouds were probably higher than they appeared to be.

After departing PWA, the pilot contacted Kansas City Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) at 2014 and requested VFR flight following enroute to 3AU. The aircraft was subsequently radar identified approximately 30 miles north of OKC. On two occasions, the pilot requested that air traffic control (ATC) confirm his location. During the first request, the pilot stated that it "got a little bumpy" at 3,500 feet and that he "got bounced around pretty hard."

Kansas City ARTCC lost radar contact with the accident aircraft at 1940. The pilot again queried the controller about his location. The controller informed the pilot that interstate 35 was five miles east of the aircraft's last known position. The pilot stated that he would "correct a little bit" in order to find it. Radar contact was reestablished at 1943, 55 miles south of Wichita. The pilot reported the interstate in sight at that time.

ATC flight-following services were transferred from Kansas City center to Wichita tower approach control at 1945. During the handoff conversation, the center controller remarked to the approach controller, "you might want to keep an eye on him [N5898E]", "he sounds kind of shaky", and "I guess he got bounced pretty good a little while back."

Wichita approach subsequently established contact with the accident aircraft. Approximately 2 minutes later, at 1948, the pilot reported: "I'm going to have to drop down . . . I went into cloud cover here [at] three thousand five hundred feet." After receiving various weather reports from approach control, the pilot elected to divert to Strother Field Airport (WLD). The controller directed the pilot toward WLD, however, radio and radar contact were lost about 1955.

An alert notice for the aircraft was issued about 2100 by the Wichita Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS). The accident site was subsequently located the next morning by local authorities.

A motorist traveling northbound on I-35, in the vicinity of Wellington, about the time of the accident, reported noticing an aircraft flying northbound parallel to the interstate. A few minutes later, he stated he saw the aircraft traveling to the southwest. Finally, he reported seeing the same aircraft a third time. During this encounter, he stated that the aircraft flew across the interstate from west to east, descending at an approximate angle of 45-degrees. The aircraft was traveling at a "high rate of speed", but was not "wavering". He recalled thinking at the time that the aircraft was approaching to land at a private airstrip.

The motorist reported that weather at the time was very windy and gusty. He stated that there was a low overcast, which he estimated at 200 feet agl. He noted that the cloud bases appeared "rugged", but that visibility below the clouds was good.

Personnel information

The pilot held a private pilot certificate with a single-engine land rating issued on August 31, 1998. He held a third class medical certificate with no limitations issued on May 30, 2002.

The pilot's logbook was present with the aircraft. The first entry in the logbook was dated May 25, 1998, and listed "Lesson #1, A/C Intro, …" in the remarks column. An entry indicating "First Solo" in the remarks column was dated July 21, 1998, with a cumulative logged flight time of 18.9 hours. The final logbook entry was dated October 4, 2002, in N2234E.

Total logged flight time as of the last entry was computed as 152.9 hours. This included 35.0 hours of night flight time and 3.6 hours of simulated instrument flight time. No actual instrument flight time was logged. A total of 148.5 hours were logged in the same make and model as the accident aircraft.

According to a logbook endorsement, the pilot completed a flight review on September 6, 2002. This was conducted in a Cessna 182 aircraft.

A review of the flying club records from which the accident aircraft was rented was conducted. The most recent flight in club aircraft by the accident pilot was on October 5, 2002, in a Cessna 172, N2234E.

Aircraft information

The accident aircraft was a 1979 Cessna 172N, serial number 17271955, and was powered by a Lycoming O-320-H2AD engine, serial number RL-8357-76T. It was registered to the Boeing Employees Flying Club and was operated as a rental/club aircraft.

The maintenance logbooks were found with the aircraft wreckage. The airframe and engine logbooks each contained an entry indicating that an annual inspection was completed on June 1, 2002, at 3710.9 tachometer time.

A flight club log sheet recovered at the accident site indicated that the Hobbs meter and tachometer readings were 1,606.9 and 3,862.3 hours, respectively, when the aircraft was checked out at 3AU. Times indicated on the Hobbs meter and tachometer at the accident site were 1,609.5 hours and 3,864.8 hours, respectively.

An additional flight club log sheet entitled "VOR Accuracy Log" was also found. It contained an entry indicating that an accuracy check had been completed on January 29, 2003, and was found to be within operating limits at that time.

A payment receipt and log sheet from a fuel truck were provided by a fixed base operator at PWA. Both indicated that N5898E was fueled with 18 gallons of 100 low lead aviation fuel. The truck log sheet noted a fueling time of 1735.

Meteorological information

Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed in the Wichita area at the time of the accident. Aviation weather reports (METARs) for airports along the route of flight were as follows:

Station: Wichita Mid-Continent Airport (ICT); Wichita, Kansas

Time: 1956;

Location from accident site: 28 nautical miles at 165 degrees magnetic;

Wind: 340 degrees magnetic at 13 knots, gusting to 19 knots;

Visibility: 10 statute miles;

Sky condition: Overcast at 500 feet above ground level (agl).

Station: Strother Field Airport (WLD); Winfield, Kansas

Time: 1954;

Location from accident site: 15 nautical miles at 090 degrees magnetic;

Wind: 360 degrees magnetic at 11 knots;

Visibility: 7 statute miles;

Sky condition: Broken at 800 feet above ground level (agl).

Station: Strother Field Airport (WLD); Winfield, Kansas

Time: 1854;

Location from accident site: 15 nautical miles at 090 degrees magnetic;

Wind: 360 degrees magnetic at 10 knots;

Visibility: 10 statute miles;

Sky condition: Clear.

Station: Ponca City Municipal Airport (PNC); Ponca City,