Cessna 172P N52614

Summary

On 5 July 2010 at about 18:15 local time, a Cessna 172P registered N52614 was involved in an accident near Chesapeake, Virginia, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

5 July 2010 at 18:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Chesapeake, Virginia, United States

Nearest airport

Chesapeake Regional Airport (CPK)

Coordinates

36.5725, -76.3431

Aircraft

Cessna 172P

Registration

N52614

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Chesapeake → Chesapeake

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA10FA346

1 person died.

The airplane's impact with terrain for undetermined reasons following the pilot's report of a flight control malfunction.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot departed his home airport, in his personal airplane in visual meteorological conditions, for an undetermined purpose. Radar data indicated that the airplane orbited at low altitude over flat terrain about 6 miles north of the departure airport for about 30 minutes, before it descended to ground impact. In the minute preceding the descent, a transmission from the airplane that included the words "mayday mayday mayday" and "[I] have a flight control malfunctions looks like I'm going down" was broadcast, and the airplane transmitted the emergency transponder beacon code. Postaccident examination and testing of the airframe and engine revealed no indications of preimpact anomalies; all observed damage was consistent with ground impact. The airplane impacted a corn field in a nose-down attitude, creating an impact crater 13 inches deep. The wreckage location was adjacent to a dirt road approximately 3 miles long. About 14 months prior to the accident, the pilot was diagnosed with mild Ankylosing Spondylitis (a chronic inflammation of the spine and sacroiliac joints), but both his airline employer and the Federal Aviation Administration determined that it did not adversely affect his continued employment as an airline pilot. Post-mortem toxicology tests detected low levels of ethanol, and several intermediate compounds in the generation or metabolism of ethanol. Given the presence of putrefaction in the biological specimens, it was possible that some or all of the ethanol was produced post-mortem. The reason why the pilot declared a flight control malfunction could not be determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.