Cessna 172P N50927

Summary

On 4 September 1993 at about 16:40 local time, a Cessna 172P registered N50927, operated by Air Chesterfield Inc., was involved in an accident near Pembroke, Virginia, United States. 4 people were on board and one died, 3 were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

4 September 1993 at 16:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Pembroke, Virginia, United States

Coordinates

37.3206, -80.6299

Aircraft

Cessna 172P

Registration

N50927

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Air Chesterfield Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Blacksburg → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

BFO93LA156

1 person died.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALTITUDE WHILE MANUEVERING IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS FLYING THE AIRPLANE OVER CLIMBING MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN WITH THREE PASSENGERS ON BOARD. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE DID NOT THINK THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE WAS DEVELOPING ENOUGH POWER TO MAKE IT TO THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN SO HE INITIATED A LEFT 180-DEGREE TURN TO GO BACK DOWN THE MOUNTIAN'S SIDE. DURING THE TURN, THE AIRPLANE LOST ALTITUDE AND THE AIRPLANE'S LEFT WING IMPACTED A TREE. THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO DESCEND THROUGH THE TREES AND CAME TO REST INVERTED. THE PILOT STATED AFTER THE ACCIDENT THAT THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS OF AN ENGINE PROBLEM IN THE COCKPIT PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT AND HE DID NOT THINK THERE WERE ANY ENGINE OR AIRFRAME ANOMALIES PRIOR TO IMPACTING THE TREE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.