Cessna 172N N737AZ

Summary

On 30 December 2004 at about 15:00 local time, a Cessna 172N registered N737AZ was involved in an accident near Mount Gilead, Ohio, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

30 December 2004 at 15:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Mount Gilead, Ohio, United States

Nearest airport

Morrow County (4I9)

Coordinates

40.5244, -82.8500

Aircraft

Cessna 172N

Registration

N737AZ

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Cardington → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC05LA033

3 people died.

The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane following an inadvertent encounter with instrument meteorological conditions. A factor in the accident was the rapidly deteriorating weather.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Prior to the accident flight the weather was conducive for visual flight rules operations, but deteriorated "rapidly" as the pilot taxied to the runway. Once airborne, the airplane entered an overcast cloud layer at approximately 300 feet agl, and then was heard circling back towards the airport. Shortly thereafter, the airplane descended out of the overcast at a high rate of speed, in a nose low attitude, and impacted the ground. The pilot held a private pilot certificate, but no instrument rating. She had flown 27 hours in the accident airplane in the preceding 90 days, but in the previous year, did not log any night or instrument flight experience. Examination of the airplane did not reveal any evidence of preimpact failures or malfunctions.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.