Cessna 172L N621EW

Summary

On 29 January 2023 at about 21:38 local time, a Cessna 172L registered N621EW was involved in an accident near Cleveland, Texas, 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

29 January 2023 at 21:38

Classification

Accident

Location

Cleveland, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Cleveland Municipal (6R3)

Coordinates

30.3384, -95.0255

Aircraft

Cessna 172L

Registration

N621EW

Category

Airplane

Year built

1972

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Cypress → Cleveland

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

CEN23LA097

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot’s decision to attempt the night flight under visual flight rules when instrument meteorological conditions prevailed resulting in the airplane striking trees while on final approach. Contributing to the accident were the unserviceable runway lights at the destination airport.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The instrument-rated pilot was positioning the airplane in preparation for an annual inspection. The flight was conducted under night visual flight rules (VFR); however, instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) prevailed along the route of flight. The pilot reported that the cloud ceiling at the departure airport was about 700 ft above ground level (agl). The pilot inadvertently flew into clouds while en route and remained in instrument conditions for about 10 minutes. During the final approach the airplane descended below the clouds, but the pilot was unable to locate the airport and “saw only pitch black” with no visual references. The airplane subsequently struck trees shortly before the pilot intended to initiate a go-around. It subsequently came to rest nose down in a wooded area. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. A Notice to Air Mission (NOTAM) pertaining to the destination airport indicated that the runway lights were unserviceable during the time of the accident flight.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.