Cessna 172 N733KZ

Summary

On 1 May 2019 at about 16:51 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N733KZ was involved in an accident near Tyrone, Pennsylvania, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

1 May 2019 at 16:51

Classification

Accident

Location

Tyrone, Pennsylvania, United States

Coordinates

40.7644, -78.2111

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N733KZ

Category

Airplane

Year built

1976

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

State College → Butler

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA19FA161

2 people died.

The pilot’s continued visual flight rules flight into instrument meteorological conditions, resulting in controlled flight into trees and terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

**This report was modified on June 23, 2021. Please see the public docket for this investigation to view the original report.** The pilot was conducting a personal, cross-country flight with one passenger onboard. The pilot received a formal preflight weather briefing, which warned of instrument and marginal visual meteorological conditions as well as mountain obscuration conditions due to clouds near the departure airport and along the airplane’s expected route of flight. Although the pilot had filed an instrument flight rules flight plan for the flight, he advised air traffic control at the departure airport that he would be departing under visual flight rules (VFR). Flight track and weather data showed that, after departure, the airplane proceeded toward mountainous terrain that was likely obscured by clouds. A witness near the accident site reported seeing the airplane flying below the clouds (fog) before losing sight of it behind trees and then hearing the impact. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of any preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. Based on the damage signatures displayed by the wreckage and trees surrounding the accident site, it is likely that the airplane impacted trees and terrain in a relatively level, slightly right wing down flight attitude and that the engine was producing power at the time of the impact. Although the pilot held an instrument rating, he did not meet the necessary currency requirements to undertake an instrument flight rules flight. It is likely that, after departing, the pilot encountered deteriorating weather conditions that obscured the mountainous terrain, and resulted in the pilot’s controlled flight into terrain.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.