Cessna 172N N17SK

Summary

On 25 August 2016 at about 23:05 local time, a Cessna 172N registered N17SK was involved in an accident near Terre Haute, Indiana, United States. 2 people were on board and one died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

25 August 2016 at 23:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Terre Haute, Indiana, United States

Nearest airport

Sky King Airport (3I3)

Coordinates

39.5494, -87.3692

Aircraft

Cessna 172N

Registration

N17SK

Category

Airplane

Year built

1980

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Terre Haute → Terre Haute

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN16FA333

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to maintain a normal approach path to the runway, which resulted in the airplane colliding with a tree and a house during final approach. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of recent flight experience.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot, who was interested in purchasing the airplane, was conducting a local flight in the airport traffic pattern to evaluate the airplane. The pilot was seated in the left front seat, and a private-pilot-rated passenger, the airplane's owner, was seated in the right front seat. When the airplane turned onto final approach, it was below a normal approach path to the runway and at a slower-than-normal airspeed. The pilot performed a go-around and remained in the traffic pattern for another approach. During the second final approach, the airplane was again flying at a lower-than-normal altitude and a slow groundspeed when it collided with a 50-ft-tall tree about 1,355 ft short of the runway threshold. The airplane subsequently traveled about 190 ft before impacting a house. No witnesses reported hearing any engine anomalies during the accident flight. Additionally, the postaccident wreckage examination did not reveal any evidence of anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. It is likely that the pilot allowed the airplane to descend below a normal approach path to the runway, which resulted in the collision with the tree and the house. The pilot had not flown during the 11 months before the accident, and his most recent flight in the airplane make and model was completed more than 2.5 years before the accident. Additionally, the pilot had not completed a flight review during the 4 years since he received his pilot certificate, and, consequently, he did not demonstrate having an adequate level of flight proficiency on a recurring basis. The pilot's lack of recent flight experience likely contributed to his failure to maintain a normal approach path and the collision with the tree.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.