Cessna 177 N30495

Summary

On 18 October 2013 at about 05:45 local time, a Cessna 177 registered N30495, operated by Eagle Sky Patrol Inc, was involved in an accident near Clayton, Oklahoma, 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

18 October 2013 at 05:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Clayton, Oklahoma, United States

Coordinates

34.5831, -95.5003

Aircraft

Cessna 177

Registration

N30495

Category

Airplane

Year built

1968

Engines

1

Operator

Eagle Sky Patrol Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Tahlequah → Terrell

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

CEN14FA010

1 person died.

Controlled flight into terrain for reasons that could not be determined from the available evidence.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During a night flight, about 12:45 am, the airplane impacted tall trees in mountainous terrain; the damage to the trees and witness marks on the airplane were consistent with a wings-level impact followed by a postimpact fire. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a full moon was 63 degrees above the horizon at the time of the accident. The pilot had been flying since 10:00 am the day before the accident and had been awake for at least 17 hours at the time of the accident. The pilot's wife reported that the pilot often kept late hours and had done so for the past 20 years. An examination of the airplane, engine, and related systems revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Investigators were not able to determine why the airplane impacted mountainous terrain.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.