- Date
- April 29, 1984, 18:22 local (23:22 UTC)
- Place
- Woodbury, MN
- Injuries
- 4 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6446VCessna 172RG
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19840429075689A
- Case key
- 12395
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 acft collided with a radio antenna support cable at aprx 171 ft AGL during low altitude maneuvering in snow showers. One witness stated that the heaviest snow showers were in the vicinity of the accident site. A policeman saw the acft over a field near the kdwb radio antenna. During the wx briefing that the plt received 11 hours prior to the accident the wx was forecast to consist of lowering ceilings, turbulence and icing for the planned afternoon return flt. According to relatives who saw the flt depart prairie due chien at about 1600 hrs CDT, it was raining. Later in the flt the plt announced over the radio that he was disoriented and when asst was offered he stated, 'I sure could use it, yes.' He was given vectors by approach control and told to steer 260 degrees. When asked his alt he did not respond. Thelast radar contact was in the vicinity of the accident site.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6446V
- Reported as
- Cessna 172RG
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172RG0707
- Airframe hours
- 624
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-F1A6, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Richard C. O'Donnell
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 6, 1983 · 56 hours before
- Departed
- PDC · Prairie Duchien, WI
- Destination
- STP · St.Paul, MN
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
- 56
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 560 total · 40 in this make and model · 426 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 900 ft
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- STP, 6 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.