Cessna 172P N52433

Summary

On 22 July 1991 at about 19:00 local time, a Cessna 172P registered N52433, operated by Civil Air Patrol, Inc., was involved in an accident near Sylva, North Carolina, United States. 3 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

22 July 1991 at 19:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Sylva, North Carolina, United States

Coordinates

35.3691, -83.2197

Aircraft

Cessna 172P

Registration

N52433

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Civil Air Patrol, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Aerial Observation

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Sylva → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL91LA139

Nobody was injured.

THE PILOT'S IMPROPER IN-FLIGHT PLANNING, AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN A PROPER ALTITUDE WHILE MANEUVERING IN THE CANYON. FACTOR(S) IN THIS ACCIDENT WERE: THE MOUNTAINOUS, BOX CANYON CONDITIONS, THE HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE, AND THE DOWNDRAFT CONDITIONS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT AND TWO OBSERVERS WERE ON A MISSION TO SEARCH FOR MARIJUANA PLANTS GROWING IN A MOUNTAINOUS CANYON. DURING SLOW FLIGHT, THEY ENCOUNTERED A DOWNDRAFT. THE AIRSPEED DECAYED, AND ESCAPE ROUTES FROM THE CANYON WERE NO LONGER AVAILABLE. THE PILOT SLOWED THE AIRCRAFT AND GUIDED IT INTO THE TREES. FOLLOWING THE COLLISION WITH TREES, THE AIRPLANE FELL TO THE GROUND BELOW. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE TEMPERATURE AT THE TIME WAS 92 DEGREES, AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS NEAR MAX GROSS WEIGHT. DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS ABOUT 6,000 FEET. INSPECTION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE, AND NO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WERE REPORTED BY THE PILOT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.