- Date
- December 27, 1991, 13:52 local (18:52 UTC)
- Place
- Sanford, MI
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N6623HCessna 172M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 23, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911227057489A
- Case key
- 15279
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-in-command's failure to maintain a visual lookout to avoid a wire strike. Factors were the pilot-in-command's intentional low level flight, his failure to maintain proper altitude, and the transmission wires.
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 aircraft was observed in low level cruise flight over a lake. In a narrow portion of the lake the aircraft vertical stabilizer struck wires which were approximately 50 feet above the lake at the lowest point. The aircraft departed controlled flight and impacted the terrain (water).
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6623H
- Reported as
- Cessna 172M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17265514
- Airframe hours
- 1,574
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- La Cross, Gordon D.
- Registered owner
- La Cross, Gordon D.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 25, 1991 · 6 hours before
- Departed
- LAN · Lansing, MI
- Destination
- Y31 · West Branch, MI
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
- 48
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,181 total · 698 in this make and model · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,300 ft broken
- Temperature
- 37 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LAN, 61 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.