- Date
- April 10, 1991, 15:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Griffith, IN
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N1375FCessna 172G
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 8, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 15040
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
Contaminated fuel in the carburetor, and inadequate inspection/maintenance of the airplane by the pilot in command.
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 airplane collided with trees following a loss of engine power shortly after takeoff. Post accident inspection of the engine revealed that the carburetor was sufficiently contaminated with particulates to preclude normal operation. The airplane's last annual inspection was performed by the pilot,who is also a licensed aircraft mechanic, 15 service hours prior to the accident flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1375F
- Reported as
- Cessna 172G
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 54870
- Airframe hours
- 1,458
- Engine
- Continental O-300-D, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Howard T. Binstock
- Registered owner
- Howard T. Binstock
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 28, 1990 · 15 hours before
- Destination
- VP1 · Valparaizo, IN
- Airport
- 05C · Griffith, runway 8, 4,013 × 50 ft, asphalt
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
- 74
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 945 total · 380 in this make and model · 945 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 45° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F