Cessna 172M N5142R
31 August 1974 · Saltville, Virginia, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 31 August 1974 at about 02:30 local time, a Cessna 172M registered N5142R was involved in an accident near Saltville, Virginia, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 02:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Saltville, Virginia, United States
- Coordinates
- 36.9222, -81.8781
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M
- Registration
- N5142R
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Athens → Charleston
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- IMC
- Light
- Night/Dark
- NTSB number
- NYC07LA005
People
3 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's continued VFR flight into known night instrument meteorological conditions. Factors in the accident included mountainous terrain obscured by clouds, and dark night conditions.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The private pilot was issued his certificate one week prior to the accident, and he did not possess an instrument rating. After extensive discussions, flight planning, and weather analysis with the pilot, the fixed base operator agreed to rent the airplane for the planned cross-country flight, if the pilot agreed to fly only in day VFR conditions, and spend the night at an intermediate stop along his intended course. Instead, the pilot landed at the planned stop, refueled, and continued his flight over mountainous terrain in night instrument meteorological conditions. The wreckage was discovered in mountainous terrain 16 months after the accident. The crash site was at an elevation of 4,500 feet on a mountain with an elevation of 4,689 feet. On the night of the accident, the cloud ceilings in the area were measured between 2,700 feet and 4,000 feet mean sea level with visibility reduced by rain showers and fog.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Cessna 172 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Feb 1974 | Cessna 172 | Ely, Minnesota, United States | Wilderness WIN | No injuries | - |
| 23 Jun 1974 | Cessna 172 | Columbia, Missouri, United States | Skyriders Flyi | No injuries | - |
| 15 Dec 1974 | Cessna 172I | Oxford, Connecticut, United States | 02G Flying CLB | No injuries | - |
| 31 Aug 1974 | Cessna 172 | Parowan, Utah, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 2 Jan 1974 | Cessna 172 | Bellingham, Washington, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 24 Nov 1974 | Cessna 172 | Morristown, New Jersey, United States | 150TH Aero Fly | No injuries | - |
All 12,209 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Jun 1982 | Cessna 150 | Red Oak, Virginia, United States | Jerry M. Daniel | Minor injuries | - |
| 26 Apr 1982 | Beechcraft 90 | Hot Springs, Virginia, United States | D. S. Ingalls | No injuries | - |
| 5 Feb 1982 | Piper PA-32R-300 | Lambsburg, Virginia, United States | Air Security Transport Corpora | Fatal | 4 |
| 3 Jan 1982 | Cessna 414A | Ashland, Virginia, United States | Ashland Properties | Fatal | 8 |
| 23 Nov 1982 | Piper PA-31-350 | Richmond, Virginia, United States | Mid South Airlines, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 20 May 1982 | Bell 206B | Gate City, Virginia, United States | Imperial Intn'l | Serious injuries | - |