- Date
- May 10, 1982, 21:41 local (May 11, 1982, 02:41 UTC)
- Place
- Sunburg, MN
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8432XCessna 172C
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report May 10, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820510019339A
- Case key
- 72758
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.
Analysis
The pilot received several weather briefings and was advised of a severe cold front and thunderstorms in an area on his route. Prior to takeoff, he was advised that VFR flight was not recommended. While en route, the pilot reported that he was "totally obscured." Shortly after that, he reported having difficulty in maintaining a heading and that his gyro and magnetic compasses were spinning. Radio and radar contact were lost soon after that. Subsequently, the plane crashed in a wooded area. An examination of the vacuum pump revealed no preimpact failure. A disassembly of the directional gyro revealed signs of wear in the upper and lower gimble ring bearings which could have resulted in erratic operation or excessive precession.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8432X
- Reported as
- Cessna 172C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17248932
- Airframe hours
- 2,906
- Engine
- Continental O-300-D, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Donald Maki
- Registered owner
- Lynch Lake Flying Club
- Departed
- ARV · Woodruff, WI
- Destination
- BBB · Benson, MN
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 32
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Invalid Medical for flight
- Flight hours
- 122 total · 80 in this make and model · 96 as pilot in command · 56 in the last 90 days · 26 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 280° at 18 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 800 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 135 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- AXN, 30 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.