Cessna 172N N4908D

Summary

On 24 November 1998 at about 17:01 local time, a Cessna 172N registered N4908D, operated by Lentz Flying Service, was involved in an accident near Bacliff, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

24 November 1998 at 17:01

Classification

Accident

Location

Bacliff, Texas, United States

Coordinates

29.4993, -94.9900

Aircraft

Cessna 172N

Registration

N4908D

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Lentz Flying Service

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Houston → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW99FA033

2 people died.

The pilot's inadvertent VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions and his inability to maintain adequate altitude/clearance from the wire. Contributing to the accident were the fog, low ceilings and his lack of instrument time.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

While on a local VFR flight, the non-instrument rated private pilot encountered instrument meteorological conditions, and subsequently, the airplane collided with power lines and terrain. At the time of departure, the weather conditions at the airport were visibility 5 miles in mist and ceiling broken at 2,200 feet. About 7 minutes after the airplane's departure, the local controller noted that a fog bank was moving towards the airport from the southeast. About 17 minutes after departure, the airplane collided with 120-foot high power lines approximately 10 miles southeast of the airport. The collision severed the left wing, and the airplane then impacted on a road and slid into a ditch. Witnesses reported that it was 'very foggy' when the accident occurred. Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of any pre-impact mechanical discrepancies that would have prevented normal operation. The pilot had 124 hours total flight time, of which 2.3 hours were under simulated instrument conditions.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.