Cessna 177 N3275T

Summary

On 14 March 2003 at about 17:50 local time, a Cessna 177 registered N3275T was involved in an accident near Old Fort, North Carolina, 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

14 March 2003 at 17:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Old Fort, North Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Asheville Regional (KAVL)

Coordinates

35.6192, -82.2553

Aircraft

Cessna 177

Registration

N3275T

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Asheville → Salisbury

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL03FA061

3 people died.

The pilot's decision to continue VFR flight into IMC and his failure to maintain terrain clearance which resulted in an in-flight collision with mountainous terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The non-instrument rated pilot was flying east through the mountains to keep an appointment. Once airborne, the pilot reported to a controller, "if the clouds come down a bit, I may want to do some scud-running." When the airplane failed to arrive at its destination, a search was initiated, and the airplane was located at an elevation of 2,860 feet in mountainous terrain 18 nautical miles east of the airport. Examination of the airframe, engine, and instruments revealed no evidence of malfunction. The airplane was topped off with fuel before departure, and 268 pounds of baggage was recovered from the wreckage.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.