Cessna 172I N8337L
18 April 1993 · Ettrick, Wisconsin, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 18 April 1993 at about 14:30 local time, a Cessna 172I registered N8337L, operated by LEO G. Stokes, was involved in an accident near Ettrick, Wisconsin, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 14:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Ettrick, Wisconsin, United States
- Coordinates
- 44.1597, -91.2596
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172I
- Registration
- N8337L
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- LEO G. Stokes
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Monticello → Waukegan
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CHI93FA139
People
2 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
AN INFLIGHT EXPLOSION OF A TOLUENE-BASED FLUID INSIDE THE AIRPLANE'S COCKPIT.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE FIRST SOUNDED NORMAL, AND THEN ITS ENGINE RPM INCREASED, FOLLOWED BY AN EXPLOSION & SMOKE. THREE WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE DURING AN UNCONTROLLED VERTICAL DESCENT. ONE STATED THE AIRPLANE EXPLODED APPROX 100 FT ABOVE THE GROUND. ANOTHER STATED HE OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE DESCENDING VERTICALLY, LOSING SIGHT OF IT JUST PRIOR TO OBSERVING FIRE AND SMOKE. THE THIRD STATED HE OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE FLYING STRAIGHT AND LEVEL, THEN SUDDENLY PITCH DOWN. DURING THE DESCENT, HE OBSERVED GREY SMOKE COMING FROM THE AIRPLANE. A CAN OF TCP FUEL TREATMENT WAS FOUND IN THE BURNT WRECKAGE. THE FILLER NECK AND CAP HAD DISTORTIONS WHICH DID NOT MATCH. TCP IS COMPRISED MAINLY OF TOLUENE, A HIGHLY VOLATILE SUBSTANCE. FUMES FROM A TOLUENE-BASED FLUID SUCH AS TCP COULD EXPLODE DURING THE LIGHTING OF A CIGARETTE. THE CAN WAS KEPT IN THE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT BY THE OWNER. EIGHT PIECES OF WINDSHIELD PLEXIGLASS WERE FOUND AROUND THE IMPACT CRATER; THE REMAINDER OF THE WINDSHIELD WAS NOT FOUND.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Cessna 172 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Oct 1993 | Cessna 172F | Co. Springs, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 20 Jan 1993 | Cessna 172P | Sun City, California, United States | Hiser Helicopters, Inc. | Fatal | 1 |
| 4 Sep 1993 | Cessna 172P | Pembroke, Virginia, United States | Air Chesterfield Inc. | Fatal | 1 |
| 18 Nov 1993 | Cessna 172RG | Santa Ana, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 16 Oct 1993 | Cessna 172K | Jacksonville, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 8 May 1993 | Cessna 172 | Towanda, Pennsylvania, United States | Glenn E. Murphy | Serious injuries | - |
All 12,209 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Sep 1993 | Piper PA-60-601 | Lone Rock, Wisconsin, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 26 Sep 1993 | Cessna 150M | Burlington, Wisconsin, United States | Scott, Weis | No injuries | - |
| 28 Nov 1993 | Krotje KOLB MARK III | Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United States | Peter R. Krotje | No injuries | - |
| 2 Oct 1993 | Beechcraft G35 | Webster, Wisconsin, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 11 Oct 1993 | Cessna R182 | Herbster, Wisconsin, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 10 Dec 1993 | Piper PA-32R-300 | Antigo, Wisconsin, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |