- Date
- November 18, 1992, 18:15 local (Nov 19, 1992, 00:15 UTC)
- Place
- Snook, TX
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9323HCessna 172M
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report December 16, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19921118047449A
- Case key
- 18581
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 intentional flight into instrument meteorological conditions as a result of his alcoholic and drug impairment of efficiency and judgement. Factors contributing to the accident were: the pilot's failure to obtain weather information, the dark night and existing weather conditions.
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 airplane collided with 25-30 ft high tree in a pasture, and then impacted the ground and cartwheeled. The property owner who heard the impact stated that the wx was low overcast, drizzle and fog. According to friends and acquaintances of the pilot, he was depressed over a divorce and was undergoing medical treatment for depression. During the evening preceding the accident, the pilot had been observed circling a town at low altitude. He was met at the airport by a law enforcement officer who reported that the pilot appeared to be impaired. The pilot was given the option of checking into a motel or going to jail for public intoxication; the pilot checked into a motel. The pilot's toxicology tests after the accident revealed blood ethanol concentration of 156 mg/dl. In addition, a 0.283 ug/ml level of sertraline (tranquilizer) was detected in the blood samples.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9323H
- Reported as
- Cessna 172M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17266087
- Airframe hours
- 2,015
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Wood Co. Pilot'S Assoc., doing business as Wood Co. Flying Club
- Registered owner
- Wood Co. Pilot'S Assoc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 1992 · 42 hours before
- Departed
- 45R · Kountze, TX
- Destination
- CLL · Bryan, TX
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
- 49
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 152 total · 107 in this make and model · 110 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 110° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.