- Date
- November 2, 1991, 16:10 local (23:10 UTC)
- Place
- Springer, NM
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N61539Cessna 172M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 5, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911102048779A
- Case key
- 18404
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 poor judgement in attempting flight into forcasted adverse weather, his disregard for the hazardous weather advisory received which resulted in partial loss of engine power as a result of a blocked induction system due to ice and snow, and the pilot's failure to properly align the aircraft with the runway.
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
A private pilot was advised by the weather briefer that VFR flight was not recommended along his route of flight due to low visibilities and snow showers. The non instrument rated pilot elected to depart on his cross country fight and encountered the previously forecasted weather enroute. The heavy show showers caused a blockage of the air induction filter screen. The pilot managed to follow an interstate highway at low altitude until an airport was found. While landing, the right main landing gear impacted a large snow drift, causing the airplane to drift off the runway and flip over. The pilot reported that due to his low altitude and diminishing power, he was unable to properly align the airplane with the runway before landing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N61539
- Reported as
- Cessna 172M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17264624
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Roy E. Roadifer
- Registered owner
- Roy E. Roadifer
- Departed
- COS · Colorado Spring, CO
- Destination
- ONM · Socorro, NM
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- Q42 · Springer, runway 19, 5,000 × 60 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
- 65
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 623 total · 550 in this make and model · 572 as pilot in command · 33 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 9° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.