Cessna 172M N80222

Summary

On 28 July 1997 at about 21:34 local time, a Cessna 172M registered N80222, operated by Northwest Aircraft Rental, was involved in an accident near Clackamas, Oregon, United States. 3 people were on board and 2 died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

28 July 1997 at 21:34

Classification

Accident

Location

Clackamas, Oregon, United States

Coordinates

45.4105, -122.5391

Aircraft

Cessna 172M

Registration

N80222

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Northwest Aircraft Rental

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Aurora → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA97FA178

2 people died.

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed in a steep turn and his concurrent failure to maintain adequate altitude, resulting in an accelerated stall at an altitude insufficient for recovery. Factors include the pilot's intentional low altitude flight and maneuvering in an ostentatious display, and the pilot's lack of total experience.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The newly certificated private pilot, a recent high school graduate, had two friends from his high school aboard. Before the accident, the aircraft was seen maneuvering at low airspeed and altitude in the vicinity of one of the passengers' houses. A flight instructor-qualified witness reported that at about 40 feet above ground level, the aircraft entered a steep turn of more than 80 degrees bank, and that the nose then dropped steeply and the aircraft crashed. The crash site was 3/8 mile east of the front seat passenger's house. This passenger's brother reported that he was talking with the front seat passenger on a cell phone at the time of the accident. He stated that the passenger instructed his brother to come out on the deck of the house because they were going to fly over. When the brother told the passenger he had not seen the aircraft, the passenger told his brother to wait on the deck while the aircraft turned around and came back over. During an on-scene examination of the aircraft wreckage, investigators found no evidence of preimpact aircraft mechanical problems.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.