Cessna 172N N6413J

Summary

On 15 October 2002 at about 21:20 local time, a Cessna 172N registered N6413J was involved in an accident near Mount Sterling, Kentucky, 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

15 October 2002 at 21:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Mount Sterling, Kentucky, United States

Nearest airport

Mount Sterling (IOB)

Coordinates

38.0983, -83.9453

Aircraft

Cessna 172N

Registration

N6413J

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Greenwood → Mount Sterling

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

IAD03FA005

2 people died.

The failure of the pilot to follow the published instrument approach procedure, which resulted in an early descent into an antenna tower. A factor was the low ceiling.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot requested, and was approved for a GPS approach. He was issued an altimeter setting, but did not acknowledge it. Radar data revealed that the airplane passed about 1 mile to the right of an intermediate approach fix, and was nearing the abeam position, about 1/2 mile to the right of the final approach fix. At both positions, the airplane was about 300 feet below the minimum segment altitude. After passing the final approach fix, the controller advised the pilot that radar contact was lost and the pilot acknowledged the transmission. No further transmissions were received from the pilot. The airplane impacted a tower, slightly left of the approach course centerline, at an elevation of about 1,350 feet. The minimum descent altitude along that approach segment was 1,800 feet. The setting found on the altimeter would have placed the airplane about 100 feet lower than it should have been. A witness stated that minutes after the accident, he looked up at the tower to check for damage, and saw that the top of it was "just in the bottom of the clouds." The airplane was certified for IFR operation; however, it was not equipped with an IFR-certified GPS receiver. A personal, hand-held computer with an antenna and integrated GPS receiver was found at the accident site. The software vendor had posted a warning on its website, which stated, "The system is not tested or approved by the FAA or any governmental agency and should not be used as a primary flight instrument."

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.