- Date
- December 17, 1995, 15:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Bryceville, FL
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N75938Cessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 9, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19951217040789A
- Case key
- 37962
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 improper planning/decision. Factors relating to the accident were: the pilot's inaccurate evaluation of the weather conditions, the pilot becoming lost/disoriented, and the lack of braking action on wet grass during the precautionary landing.
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 student pilot was flying on a cross-country flight, when he encountered deteriorating weather and became disoriented. He elected to make a precautionary landing in a field. He stated that during the landing roll, he was unable to get satisfactory braking action on wet grass. Subsequently, the airplane hit a barbed wire fence and nosed over.
Factual narrative
On December 17, 1995, about 1500 eastern standard time, N75938, a Cessna 172N, operated by Americus Georgia Flying Club landed in a field in Bryceville, Florida, while flying a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the flight. The airplane was substantially damaged and the student pilot received minor injuries. The flight had originated earlier that day.
The student pilot was flying from Brunswick, Georgia to Waycross, Georgia on a solo cross-country flight when he encountered deteriorating weather conditions. He became disoriented while trying to maintain VFR. The pilot attempted a precautionary landing in a field. During the landing roll the airplane hit a barbed wire fence and nosed over.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N75938
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17268055
- Engine
- Lycoming O-326-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Americus Georgia Flying Club
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · November 17, 1995 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- SSI · Brunswick, GA
- Destination
- AYS · Waycross, GA
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
- 19
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 40 total · 40 in this make and model · 40 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GNV, 62 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.