Cessna 195 N195WR

Summary

On 26 September 1996 at about 16:30 local time, a Cessna 195 registered N195WR was involved in an accident near Greenville, Missouri, 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.

Date

26 September 1996 at 16:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Greenville, Missouri, United States

Coordinates

37.1198, -90.4407

Aircraft

Cessna 195

Registration

N195WR

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

West Memphis → Creve Coeur

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI96FA353

4 people died.

the pilot's decision to fly into known adverse weather which resulted in an overload failure and separation of the left wing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot had telephoned the Jonesboro FSS and was advised by the briefer 'moderate turbulence... icing... visibilities one to two with thunderstorms and rain.... VFR flight is not recommended.' The pilot reported 'I'm gonna file that way and then I'll go just as close as I can get and when it gets bad I'll just shut it down.' Instrument meteorological conditions, severe rain, and thunderstorms were reported by witnesses in the vicinity of the accident site. Several people reported that they heard the sound of the airplane flying overhead at 'a low altitude.' No eyewitnesses were located. The outboard nine feet of the left wing was located approximately 1/4 mile from the main wreckage. Examination of the wing spar fragments and a section of the wing from the vicinity of the left wing fracture revealed 'features typical of overstress separations. Deformation associated with the fracture in the upper and lower spar caps was indicative of a bending overstress separation in the downward direction. No fatigue cracking or other types of progressive deterioration was noted.' Examination of the wreckage revealed no other evidence of preimpact malfunction.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.