FTW03FA182

The aircraft was en route to the designated company practice area when the 1,100-hour flight instructor (CFI) made a distress call stating they had hit a bird and were going down. Subsequently, the CFI terminated radio contact. A witness located adjacent to the accident site reported seeing the airplane fly over approximately 500 to 1,000 feet agl, and the "wings of the Cessna 172 were pitching (alternating) up and down looking uncontrollable. The tail of the airplane was swinging from side to side." The witness lost sight of the airplane once it descended below a tree line. Witness marks at the accident site and airplane crush angles were consistent with the airplane stalling prior to impacting the ground. Examination of the airframe and engine, logbooks did not reveal any pre-existing anomalies.

History of flight

On July 8, 2003, approximately 1144 central daylight time, a Cessna 172S single-engine airplane, N166ME, was destroyed when it impacted terrain during a forced landing following an in-flight collision with a bird approximately two miles west of Aero Country Airport (T31), near McKinney, Texas. The flight instructor and student pilot sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was registered to FlightProcedure, Inc., of Denton, Texas, and operated by Monarch Air, of Addison, Texas. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. The local flight originated from the Addison Airport (ADS), Addison, Texas, approximately 1135.

Information obtained from the Dallas-Fort Worth Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) revealed the aircraft departed ADS and was enroute to a designated company practice area. ARTCC received the following radio communication transmissions:

At 1143:37, N166ME transmitted; "mayday, mayday, mayday, regional approach 166ME, we're going down."

At 1143:42, ARTCC transmitted; "166ME, regional approach, what's your position and what can I do for you?"

At 1143:46, N166ME; "yah, send somebody to pick us up, I think we're going to be fine, we ah hit ah bird, but ah we got ah, go down, we can't keep it straight with the power on, we're right up here south of 380"

At 1143:58, ARTCC; "roger sir, I am showing a, ah about two miles west of aero country airport, is that you?"

At 1144:02, N166ME; "that's me we're going down now, I'm going to disconnect radio contact"

At 1144:06, ARTCC; "6ME, can you tell me your type aircraft, and how many on board?"

No further radio transmissions were received from N166ME.

Radar data received from the ARTCC indicated N166ME was flying on a northerly heading at approximately 1,900 feet msl from 1137:03 to 1143:03. At 1143:03, the radar data indicated the airplane began a descending right turn. At the approximate time of the mayday call, radar data indicates the airplane was on a heading of 056 degrees at 1,300 feet msl with a groundspeed of 116 knots. At the approximate time of the pilot's last radio transmission, radar data indicated the airplane at an altitude of 800 feet msl on a heading of 068 degrees, with a groundspeed of 96 knots.

A witness located near the accident site reported seeing the airplane fly over the area at approximately 500 to 1,000 feet agl, and the "wings of the Cessna 172 were pitching (alternating) up and down looking uncontrollable. The tail of the airplane was swinging from side to side." The witness lost sight of the airplane when it descended below a tree line.

Personnel information

The flight instructor held a commercial pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land, airplane multi-engine land, and instrument airplane ratings. The instructor held a certified flight instructor's certificate with airplane single engine land, airplane multi-engine land, and instrument airplane. The instructor was issued a first-class medical certificate on May 30, 2003, with the limitation of "MUST WEAR CORRECTIVE LENSES." At the time of his last medical application, the instructor reported that he had accumulated a total of 1,100 hours of flight time. The instructor's logbook was not located.

The student pilot was issued a student pilots certificate for airplane single-engine land, and a third class medical certificate on April 25, 2003, with the limitation of "MUST HAVE GLASSES AVAILABLE FOR NEAR VISION." A review of the student pilot's logbook revealed he had accumulated a total of 30 hours of flight time, which was conducted with the flight instructor since May of 2003. According to the student's logbook entries, the student pilot had three previous flights involving emergency procedure instruction.

Aircraft information

The 2000-model Cessna 172S airplane, serial number 8446, was a high wing, semimonocoque design airplane, with a fixed landing gear. The airplane was powered by a normally aspirated, direct drive, air-cooled, horizontally opposed, fuel injected, four-cylinder Textron-Lycoming IO-360-L2A engine, rated at 180 horsepower. The airplane was configured to carry a maximum of four occupants.

The airplane was issued a standard airworthiness certificate on April 27, 2000. According to the airframe and engine logbooks, the airplane's most recent 100-hour/annual inspection was on June 6, 2003, with a total time of 1433.0 hours. At the time of the accident, the airframe and engine had accumulated a total of 1461.1 hours, 28.1 hours since the last inspection. No open maintenance discrepancies were noted within the aircraft logbooks.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration approved Cessna 172S information manual, in the most forward CG configuration, the stall speed with flaps retracted with a zero degree bank is 49 KIAS. With 10 degrees of flaps, the stall speed is 43 KIAS. With 30 degrees of flaps, the stall speed is 40 KIAS.

The Cessna 172S information manual states that the precautionary landing with engine power procedure is the following:

1. Passenger Seat Backs - MOST UPRIGHT POSITION.

2. Seats and Seat Belts - SECURE.

3. Airspeed - 65 KIAS

4. Wing Flaps - 20 Degrees

5. Selected Field - FLY OVER Note terrain and obstructions then retract flaps upon reaching a safe altitude and speed.

6. Avionics Master Switch and Electrical Switches - OFF.

7. Wing Flaps 30 degrees (on final approach).

8. Airspeed - 65 KIAS

9. Master Switch - OFF.

10. Doors - UNLATCH PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN.

11. Touchdown - SLIGHTLY TAIL LOW.

12. Ignition Switch - OFF.

13. Brakes - APPLY HEAVILY.

Meteorological information

The closest weather reporting station to the accident site was located at Mc Kinney Municipal Airport (TKI), near Mc Kinney, Texas, approximately 9 nautical miles east of the accident site. At 1153, the automated surface observing system at TKI reported wind from 180 degrees at 8 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, cloud condition broken at 1,800 feet, temperature 88 degrees Fahrenheit, dew point 72 degrees Fahrenheit, and an altimeter setting of 30.14 inches of Mercury.

Wreckage and impact information

The main wreckage was located in a field approximately two miles west of T31. The Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates recorded at the accident site using a hand held GPS unit were 33 degrees 12.906 minutes north latitude and 096 degrees 46.222 minutes west longitude, at an elevation of approximately 800 feet msl. The airplane impacted soft terrain on a magnetic heading of 225 degrees, and came to rest upright on a heading of 120 degrees, approximately 25 feet right of the point of impact. The wreckage energy path measured approximately 60 feet in length.

The initial ground scar measured approximately 28 feet in length, and contained fractured pieces of wingtip, and portions of a red lens, consistent with the navigational lens. The ground scar connected to a crater, which was approximately three and one half feet in length, and nine inches deep. The crater featured a rounded hole approximately four inches wide, which was consistent with the tip of the propeller spinner. Another ground scar originated from the crater, measuring approximately 17 feet in length, consistent with the length of the right wing. The wreckage distribution path contained small fractured pieces of the left wing tip, left navigation and strobe lights, left strobe light power pack and wiring harness, the left wiring harness of the left navigation light, and multiple pieces of plexi-glass.

The leading edge of the left wing and the leading edge outboard of the wing strut attach point on the right wing were crushed aft. The left wing leading edge skin area inboard of the landing light cutout was folded inboard, and outboard from the landing light cutout was folded outboard. The ai