- Date
- July 17, 1985, 22:45 local (Jul 18, 1985, 02:45 UTC)
- Place
- Leesburg, FL
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3781SCessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850717034039A
- Case key
- 31427
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 plt experienced an electrical failure while on a night flt & was unable to activate the rwy lights by keying his radio. He elected to land on the unlighted rwy without any landing lights rather than divert to another arpt. The plt stated that during the apch to land, he realized that he was not lined up properly with the rwy, & when he attempted to correct the acft's alignment with the rwy, the right wing 'lost lift' & struck the ground. Law inforcement personnel reported that the plt had a slight odor of alcohol on his person; however, the plt passed a physical agility sobriety test. He had made only one night landing within the preceding 90 days; thus, he did not meet the requirments of FAR 61.57 for night recency of experience.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3781S
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17250981
- Airframe hours
- 2,609
- Engine
- Continental O-300-D, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Henry Eddins
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 19, 1985 · 2 hours before
- Departed
- LEE · Leesburg, FL
- Airport
- LEE · Leesburg, runway 13, 4,984 × 150 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
- 52
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 96 total · 96 in this make and model · 71 as pilot in command · 3 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 180° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 72 °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.
Other investigations on N3781S · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.