- Date
- September 18, 1988, 06:15 local (10:15 UTC)
- Place
- Zanesville, OH
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9877CCessna 182RG
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report June 25, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880918046339A
- Case key
- 13972
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
The pilot's poor judgement/decision-making, and his over confidence in his own ability which led to his repeated decisions to operate his aircraft in adverse weather conditions. The fact that the pilot had operated the aircraft in adverse weather conditions without incident on numerous previous occasions contributed to his over confidence/ expectancy on the day of the accident.
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 VFR pilot and his student pilot rated right seat passenger departed the airport while it was still dark, in instrument meteorological conditions with extremely restricted visibilities due to dense fog (witnesses estimated as little as 15 feet visibility in areas). About 15 minutes after takeoff, the aircraft struck trees and impacted an area of high terrain northeast of the departure airport. A local resident reported hearing the sound of an engine, loud and running steady, coming toward his house. He heard a thud and the engine noise quit. He stated that it sounded so close that he thought it was the newspaper delivery truck on the road. The aircraft wreckage and it's occupants were discovered about 4 hours later. Post accident investigation revealed no evidence of pre-impact airframe/engine/system malfunction/failure. Witnesses stated that the pilot frequently operated in adverse weather conditions.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9877C
- Reported as
- Cessna 182RG
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- R18200478
- Airframe hours
- 1,379
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-J3C5D, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Phillip C. Snyder
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 29, 1988 · 3 hours before
- Departed
- 42T · Zanesville, OH
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
- 47
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,617 total · 8 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 180° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 65 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 400 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ZZV, 8 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.