- Date
- October 2, 1983, 14:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Eppingham, NH
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Emergency descent
- Aircraft
- N66162Cessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19831002052809A
- Case key
- 35447
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 pilot stated that while enroute to north conway, NH with about 10 gal. Of fuel on board he had to alter course to the southeast to find a hole to drop under clouds and avoid the mountains. He could not identify and land marks and lost contact with the augusta and kennybunk vors due to low altitude. He realized he was lost and did not have enough fuel to climb up to get a VOR fix on his location. The fuel gauges were indicating empty so the pilot immediately looked for a suitable forced landing site.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N66162
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17275973
- Airframe hours
- 90
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D2J, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Julie Copper
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 7, 1983
- Departed
- Bethel, ME
- Destination
- No. Conway, NH
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
- 110 total · 78 in this make and model · 53 as pilot in command · 29 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 55 °F
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 N66162 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.