Cessna 172K N46628

Summary

On 13 January 2001 at about 04:19 local time, a Cessna 172K registered N46628 was involved in an accident near Martinsville, Indiana, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

13 January 2001 at 04:19

Classification

Accident

Location

Martinsville, Indiana, United States

Coordinates

39.4883, -86.3247

Aircraft

Cessna 172K

Registration

N46628

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Terre Haute → Greenwood

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

CHI01FA064

2 people died.

The pilots decision not to fly to the alternate airport, his decision to continue the flight in known adverse weather conditions, spatial disorientation by the pilot, and his failure to maintain aircraft control. Factors were the low ceilings, the dark night, the fog, and the trees.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane, piloted by a non-instrument rated pilot, was destroyed when it impacted trees and terrain. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot had been in communication with air traffic control prior to the accident. The pilot was given the weather conditions at an airport 11 nm from the intended destination as, "visibility one quarter with freezing fog the scattered ceiling is at one hundred feet and broken at ah seven hundred feet our rvrs are all ah below eight hundred for the runways i'm not sure you want to come this direction." The air traffic controller suggested an airport that was 6 nm in front of the airplane as an alternate. Witnesses in the area of the accident site reported foggy conditions on the night of the accident. Radar data shows that after being given the weather conditions and the suggested alternate airport, the aircraft continued to fly in a predominately easterly direction. Postaccident examination of the aircraft did not reveal any anomalies that could be associated with a preexisting condition.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.