ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 36963
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| Date: | Saturday 20 April 1991 |
| Time: | 09:30 |
| Type: |  Cessna 172N |
| Owner/operator: | Imperial Fabricating Company |
| Registration: | N5738J |
| MSN: | 17273830 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 1283 hours |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Dunlap, TN -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Portland, TN (1M5) |
| Chattanooga, TN (IAO) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
THE INSTRUMENT-RATED PILOT AND PILOT-RATED PASSENGER WERE ON A PERSONAL FLIGHT TO A VFR-ONLY AIRPORT. THEIR FLIGHT REQUIRED THEM TO CROSS OVER A MOUNTAIN RIDGE EN ROUTE. LOW CEILINGS, WITH LIGHT DRIZZLE AND FOG, WERE REPORTED NEAR THEIR DESTINATION AIRPORT. WITNESSES ON TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN RIDGE HEARD THE DRONE OF AN ENGINE GETTING CLOSER UNTIL A CRASH WAS HEARD. A WITNESS WHO WAS FIRST ON THE SCENE REPORTED THAT FORWARD VISIBILITY ON THE RIDGE WAS ABOUT 75 YARDS. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE SIDE OF THE RIDGE ON A DIRECT HEADING TO THE DESTINATION AIRPORT. THE DAMAGE INDICATED A LEVEL FLIGHT PATH, WITH WINGS LEVEL. THE PILOT DID NOT FILE A FLIGHT PLAN, DID NOT ACTIVATE ONE EN ROUTE, AND HAD NO VOICE COMMUNICATIONS WITH ATC. NO EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND. CAUSE: THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PLANNING/PREPARATION, HIS ATTEMPTED VFR FLIGHT INTO IFR CONDITIONS, AND HIS SUBSEQUENT FAILURE TO MAINTAIN A PROPER ALTITUDE. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, THE FOGGY, LOW CEILING CONDITIONS ALONG THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT.
Sources:
NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20001212X16720
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:23 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
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