Cessna 172N N5338D
31 October 1994 · Gerton, North Carolina, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 31 October 1994 at about 23:56 local time, a Cessna 172N registered N5338D, operated by Beaufort Aviation Inc., was involved in an accident near Gerton, North Carolina, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 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 23:56
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Gerton, North Carolina, United States
- Coordinates
- 35.4806, -82.3501
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N
- Registration
- N5338D
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Beaufort Aviation Inc.
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Business
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Beaufort → Springfield
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- IMC
- Light
- Night/Dark
- NTSB number
- ATL95FA009
People
4 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE WEATHER EVALUATION AND HIS INTENTIONAL VISUAL FLIGHT INTO IMC.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE PILOT RECEIVED SEVERAL VISUAL FLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFINGS BEFORE DEPARTING. AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE FIRST BRIEFING, VISUAL FLIGHT FOR THE PLANNED ROUTE WAS NOT RECOMMENDED; HOWEVER, THE PILOT ELECTED TO FLY THE PLANNED ROUTE. THREE AND ONE HALF HOURS AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PILOT LANDED AT AN AIRPORT SHORT OF HIS PLANNED DESTINATION, AND REFUELED WITH 16 GALLONS OF FUEL. MINUTES AFTER THE FLIGHT DEPARTED THE AIRPORT, THE PILOT ESTABLISHED RADIO CONTACT WITH ASHEVILLE APPROACH, AND REQUESTED RADAR VECTORS TO ASHEVILLE. THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER ADVISED THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN VFR CONDITIONS. MOMENTS LATER RADIO CONTACT WAS LOST, AND THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH A MOUNTAIN RIDGE AT THE 3800 FOOT LEVEL. EXAMINATION OF THE ACCIDENT SITE REVEALED THAT THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TREES; AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE WAS SCATTERED OVER AN AREA 135 FEET LONG. THE EXAMINATION OF THE ACCIDENT SITE REVEALED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED BY IMPACT FORCES, AND A POST-IMPACT FIRE. NO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WERE DETERMINED FROM THE WRECKAGE EXAMINATION. WEATHER REPORTS INDICATED THAT CLOUDS OBSCURED THE MOUNTAINS WHERE THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Cessna 172 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Jun 1994 | Cessna 172N | Lambertville, Michigan, United States | Davis College | Minor injuries | - |
| 21 Jul 1994 | Cessna 172N | Chatham, Massachusetts, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 29 Apr 1994 | Cessna 172P | Hillsboro, Oregon, United States | Eagle Flight Center, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 1 Jul 1994 | Cessna 172B | Shiocton, Wisconsin, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 26 Jul 1994 | Cessna 172A | Block Island, Rhode Island, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 29 May 1994 | Cessna 172M | Lookout Pass, Idaho, United States | St. Maries CAP Aero Club | Serious injuries | - |
All 12,209 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Feb 1994 | Piper PA-24-250 | Kinston, North Carolina, United States | Shnur, Morris | No injuries | - |
| 5 Mar 1994 | Cessna 182RG | Concord, North Carolina, United States | Phillips, E. Rolland | No injuries | - |
| 5 Mar 1994 | Rutan RUTAN LONG EZ | Kill Devil Hill, North Carolina, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 2 Apr 1994 | Piper PA-24-180 | Boone, North Carolina, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 2 Apr 1994 | Piper PA-28-180 | Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States | Collier, Stephen C. | No injuries | - |
| 15 Apr 1994 | Piper PA-28-140 | Raleigh, North Carolina, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |