Cessna 172N N738LL

Summary

On 25 February 1991 at about 02:40 local time, a Cessna 172N registered N738LL, operated by Dalen R. Kniep, was involved in an accident near Western, Nebraska, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

25 February 1991 at 02:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Western, Nebraska, United States

Coordinates

39.9993, -97.7591

Aircraft

Cessna 172N

Registration

N738LL

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Dalen R. Kniep

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lincoln → Hebron

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

CHI91DCJ01

1 person died.

SPATIAL DISORIENTATION WHICH RESULTED IN A LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS VFR FLIGHT INTO IMC.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT DEPARTED ON A VFR CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT IN VFR WEATHER CONDITIONS. ABOUT 9 MINUTES AFTER HE TOOK OFF, THE PILOT TOLD AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL (ATC) THAT HE WAS ENCOUNTERING SNOW FLURRIES, AND REQUESTED ANY PERTINENT UPDATED WEATHER REPORTS/PILOT REPORTS. ATC REPORTED SCATTERED LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS IN THE AREA, BUT HAD NO OTHER SIGNIFICANT INFORMATION AVAILABLE. ELEVEN MINUTES LATER THE PILOT REPORTED HE WAS LOSING GROUND CONTACT IN HEAVY SNOW AND REQUESTED VECTORS BACK TO THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT. THAT WAS THE LAST TRANSMISSION FROM THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND ABOUT 30 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT. THE PILOT RECEIVED A PRE-FLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING WHICH INCLUDED FLIGHT PRECAUTIONS FOR ICING AND POSSIBLE IFR CONDITIONS AND OCCASIONAL LIGHT SNOW AND FOG ALONG HIS FLIGHT PATH.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.