- Date
- January 8, 1989, 18:45 local (Jan 9, 1989, 01:45 UTC)
- Place
- Chadron, NE
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N3799RCessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890108000279A
- Case key
- 34743
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 plt failed to devote full time & attention to flying the acft, with a resulting loss of control and collision with the ground. Contributing to the accident was the dark night 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
Shortly after takeoff on a dark night, the pvt pilot said he turned around to retrieve something from the back seat. He became aware of the engine's RPM increasing, and when he turned around facing forward, he could not see the horizon. He started to scan the instrument panel when the aircraft struck the terrain, left wing first. The wing folded under the fuselage and the aircraft slid about 120 feet.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3799R
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17255599
- Airframe hours
- 5,115
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- L&D Aero Service, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 14, 1988 · 59 hours before
- Departed
- CDR · Chadron, NE
- Destination
- CSP · Casper, WY
- Airport
- CDR
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
- 36
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 246 total · 94 in this make and model · 185 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 230° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 7 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CDR, 1 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.
Other investigations on N3799R · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.