Cessna 172S N514SP

Summary

On 30 September 2002 at about 02:50 local time, a Cessna 172S registered N514SP was involved in an accident near Medford, Oregon, 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

30 September 2002 at 02:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Medford, Oregon, United States

Coordinates

42.4333, -122.3000

Aircraft

Cessna 172S

Registration

N514SP

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Caldwell → Medford

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

SEA02FA185

2 people died.

Terrain clearance was not maintained during cruise flight. Dark night and mountainous terrain were factors.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Radar identified the aircraft departing from an airport in Idaho with a destination to an airport in Oregon. The flight tracking continued in a southwesterly direction toward the destination airport. Two in-flight weather briefings were recorded with advisories given to the pilot for mountain obscuration and turbulence along the route of flight. The last briefing was about 10 minutes prior to the accident. Radar flight tracking identified the aircraft at about 8,800 feet and traveling toward and colliding with a 9,495 foot mountain. Dark night conditions existed at the time for the VFR flight. The wreckage was located at about the 8,700 foot level on steep mountainous terrain. On sight documentation indicated that the point of impact was on a rock face about 100 feet above the wreckage. The propeller assembly was found between the rock face and the main wreckage that had slid down to its final resting point. Documentation of the aircraft revealed severe aft compression crushing to the entire length of leading edge of both wings. The nose and cockpit were severely compromised. The propeller displayed severe leading edge gouges and chordwise scratching.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.