Cessna 177B N34142

Summary

On 7 September 1997 at about 17:20 local time, a Cessna 177B registered N34142 was involved in an accident near Crump, Michigan, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

7 September 1997 at 17:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Crump, Michigan, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Cessna 177B

Registration

N34142

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Pontiac → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI97FA283

1 person died.

Continued flight by the non-instrument rated pilot into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) and her failure to maintain control of the airplane, due to spatial disorientation. Related factors were the low ceiling, and the pilot's lack of instrument flight capabilities.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The non-instrument rated private pilot was advised by the FAA Flight Service Station (FSS) specialist that '...there have been IFR ceilings and visibilities through [your] route [of flight].' The specialist told the pilot that the ceiling about 15 miles south of the accident site was varying between 300 and 1,300-feet above the ground. The specialist told the pilot that conditions should start to improve within an hour to an hour-and-a-half after their conversation. The pilot said she'd call back in '...a half hour or so.' There was no record of the return telephone call by the pilot. About 2-hours later, the pilot contacted approach control and reported the airplane was level at 2,500-feet above mean sea level (msl). About 12 minutes later the pilot asked the controller if she could climb to 5,500- feet msl. The controller suggested she climb the airplane to 6,500-feet msl due to her northwesterly heading. The pilot advised the controller she would climb the airplane to 4,500-feet msl. Another pilot reported (PIREP) instrument meteorological conditions at 5,000-feet msl to the controller. About 4-minutes after the PIREP the pilot of the accident airplane requested a climb to 6,500-feet msl. The controller approved the climb. About a minute later the controller reported hearing a distress call from an unknown source, 'Help me. Help me.' Witnesses reported seeing the airplane exit the clouds in a steep, pitched down attitude. They reported the airplane's right wing disintegrated as it banked to the left. The airplane was destroyed during an in-flight breakup and collision with trees and the ground. No anomalies were found with the airframe, control system or engine that would have prevented flight.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.