- Date
- April 4, 1991, 00:02 local (06:02 UTC)
- Place
- Flippin, AR
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4416RCessna 172M
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910404008929A
- Case key
- 23254
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 attempted VFR flight in instrument meteorological conditions and his failure to maintain altitude.
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
During a night flight in instrument meteorological conditions the noninstrument rated private pilot descended to land and impacted 80 foot tall trees and the ground. Visibility at the time of the accident was zero. The airport was equipped with a vor/dme and NDB approach. It is unknown if the pilot attempted to fly an approach. Witnesses reported the airplane circled the town once prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4416R
- Reported as
- Cessna 172M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17263164
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Ronald G. Crouthers
- Registered owner
- Ronald G. Crouthers
- Departed
- MQ6 · Russelville, AR
- Airport
- FLP · Marion County, runway 22, 3,520 × 75 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
- 40
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 524 total · 236 in this make and model · 437 as pilot in command · 11 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 120° at 3 knots
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.