Cessna 172N N5315D

Summary

On 16 March 2003 at about 22:01 local time, a Cessna 172N registered N5315D was involved in an accident near Foley, Minnesota, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

16 March 2003 at 22:01

Classification

Accident

Location

Foley, Minnesota, United States

Coordinates

45.6228, -93.9075

Aircraft

Cessna 172N

Registration

N5315D

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Superior → St Cloud

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI03FA086

3 people died.

The pilot's continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions which led to spatial disorientation and subsequent impact with the ground. Contributing factors was the pilot's lack of instrument rating, the pilot's disregard of the preflight briefing and his failure to follow in-flight weather advisories and a low ceiling.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was destroyed when it impacted into a harvested agricultural field. The non-instrument rated pilot had received a pre-flight weather briefing and was informed that visual flight rules (VFR) flight was not recommended. Once airborne, the pilot contacted flight service and was given updated weather information. The briefer informed the pilot of a recently released AIRMET (Airman's Meteorological Information) for instrument meteorological conditions and that VFR flight was not recommended. The AIRMET included both the destination airport and the accident site. The weather at the destination airport, 8 nautical miles and 235 degrees from the accident site listed 6 statute miles visibility and an overcast ceiling at 900 feet above ground level (AGL). A weather reporting station 13 nautical miles and 107 degrees from the accident site, recorded a visibility of 7 nautical miles and clear skies. A weather reporting station 23 nautical miles and 188 degrees from the accident site, recorded a visibility of 1 1/4 statute miles with mist and an overcast ceiling at 300 feet AGL. Witnesses reported that the weather at the accident site was cloudy and drizzly. Examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of a pre-impact defect.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.