- Date
- October 3, 1992, 18:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Marengo, OH
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N3980FCessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19921003042539A
- Case key
- 37247
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 inadequate visual lookout due to sunglare, which resulted in a tree strike on final approach.
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 was landing on a private airstrip surrounded by trees. As he turned final, he reported the sun was in his eyes and he drifted right of course, and struck a tree with the right wing. The pilot said he lost airspeed and was unable to flare. During the touchdown, the nose wheel and left main landing gear collapsed and the engine was torn from its mounts.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3980F
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 36880
- Airframe hours
- 3,337
- Engine
- Continental O-300-A, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- John A. Zurik
- Registered owner
- Flyers Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 25, 1992 · 67 hours before
- Departed
- 6G4 · Mt. Vernon, OH
- Airport
- 0OH4 · Zurik, runway 26, 1,800 × 50 ft, grass/turf
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
- 65
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 294 total · 77 in this make and model · 15 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CMH, 21 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.