Cessna 172P N51547

Summary

On 29 August 2021 at about 23:00 local time, a Cessna 172P registered N51547, operated by Galvin Flight Training, was involved in an accident near Wenatchee, Washington, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

29 August 2021 at 23:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Wenatchee, Washington, United States

Coordinates

47.2878, -120.4077

Aircraft

Cessna 172P

Registration

N51547

Category

Airplane

Year built

1980

Engines

1

Operator

Galvin Flight Training

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Wenatchee → Seattle

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR21LA332

Nobody was injured.

The student pilot’s inadequate inflight navigation and the flight instructors delayed remedial action which resulted in a collision with trees.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor reported that, while conducting mountain flying training, and using roads as a primary means of navigation, the pilot rated student made a wrong turn due to smoke/haze and entered an area where the airplane could not out climb terrain. The flight instructor assumed control of the airplane which subsequently collided with vegetation (trees). The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.