Cessna 172 N347SP

Summary

On 21 September 2015 at about 22:30 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N347SP, operated by Certified Aviation LLC, was involved in an accident near Bally, Pennsylvania, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

21 September 2015 at 22:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Bally, Pennsylvania, United States

Nearest airport

Butter Valley Golf Port (7N8)

Coordinates

40.4039, -75.5744

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N347SP

Category

Airplane

Year built

1999

Engines

1

Operator

Certified Aviation LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bally → Morristown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA15LA366

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's failure to maintain altitude during low-level aerobatic maneuvers. Contributing to the accident were the pilot's improper decision to attempt the low-level aerobatic maneuvers and his impairment due to psychiatric conditions and the medications he was using to treat them.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The commercial pilot was conducting a personal cross-country flight. Several witnesses reported observing different sequences of events. One witness reported seeing the airplane fly in a 90° right bank turn for about 10 seconds as it maneuvered underneath power lines and between two utility towers. After passing under the power lines, the airplane leveled and then impacted the ground. Another witness reported that the airplane was at a lower-than-normal altitude and seemed to be flying "erratically" and "aggressively," and that, at one point, it was "flying on its side." Another witness reported seeing the airplane flying with one wing pointing toward the ground. The witness statements are consistent with low-altitude aerobatic maneuvers. Although some bystanders reported that the engine sputtered and lost power and the pilot reported that a loss of engine power occurred, postaccident examination of the airframe and engine, which included a successful engine test run, revealed no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Toxicological testing of the pilot's specimens revealed that he had high levels of a sedating benzodiazepine, alprazolam, within the toxic range. Additionally, he had a low level of a second sedating benzodiazepine, lorazepam. Both these medications are used to treat significant anxiety disorders, which are associated with performance deficits, particularly in high-workload spatial tasks. It is likely that the pilot's underlying psychiatric disorders and the medications he was using to treat them impaired his judgement, executive functioning, and psychomotor skills and contributed to the accident.  

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.