- Date
- September 14, 1994, 16:25 local (21:25 UTC)
- Place
- Decatur, IN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N89897Cessna 152
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 12, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940914034019A
- Case key
- 9675
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 proper altitude and his inadequate visual outlook. A factor was the tower.
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 flight was for the purpose of photographing real estate. The pilot stated that from charts he was aware that there was a tower in the vicinity; however, he did not have visual contact with it. He said that while heading southbound the airplane impacted the tower. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The pilot was able to fly to an uneventful landing at indianapolis, Indiana.
Factual narrative
On September 14, 1994, at 1625 eastern standard time, a Cessna 152, N89897, registered to Hoosier Air Photos, Inc., of Indianapolis, and operated by a commercial pilot, collided with a stationary tower near Decatur, Indiana. The airplane landed at Indianapolis, Indiana, with substantial damage. The pilot reported no injuries. The business 14 CFR Part 91 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was on file. The flight departed Portland, Indiana, at 1450 with the intended destination of Greenwood, Indiana.
The flight was for the purpose of photographing real estate. The pilot stated that he was aware of the tower from charts, but never actually saw it. While flying southbound the airplane impacted the tower. The pilot indicated that the airplane performance was not adversely affected by the impact and he elected to return to the Indianapolis area where he landed without further incident at 1805.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N89897
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15282908
- Airframe hours
- 9,192
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Hoosier Air Photo, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 1, 1994 · 512 hours before
- Departed
- PLD · Portland, IN
- Destination
- HFY · Greenwood, IN
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
- 24
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor, Flight engineer
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,166 total · 615 in this make and model · 1,076 as pilot in command · 374 in the last 90 days · 129 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- IND, 95 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.