Plane Crash List

Cessna 172D N2556U

27 January 1989 · Cumming, Georgia, United States · Serious injuries

Summary

On 27 January 1989 at about 08:43 local time, a Cessna 172D registered N2556U, operated by E. Wayne Fredericks, was involved in an accident near Cumming, Georgia, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

The record

Date
at 08:43
Classification
Accident
Location
Cumming, Georgia, United States
Nearest airport
Mathis (84A)
Coordinates
Not recorded
Aircraft
Cessna 172D
Registration
N2556U
Category
Airplane
Engines
1
Operator
E. Wayne Fredericks
Operating rule
Part 91: General Aviation
Purpose of flight
Personal
Phase of flight
Not recorded
Route
Chamblee → Kennesaw
Aircraft damage
Destroyed
Weather
IMC
Light
Night/Dark
NTSB number
ATL89LA083

People

1 person was seriously injured.

On board Died Serious Minor Uninjured
1 0 1 0 0

Probable cause

THE PILOT'S DECISION TO ATTEMPT VFR FLIGHT IN ADVERSE METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AT NIGHT WITH AN INOPERATIVE ATTITUDE INDICATOR AND INSUFFICIENT FUEL RESERVE FOR THE INTENDED FLIGHT.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT HAD MADE A FLIGHT FROM HIS HOME AIRPORT TO AUGUSTA AND UPON RETURNING, HAD TO DIVERT DUE TO WEATHER. HE HAD DEPARTED AUGUSTA ABOUT 2315, LANDED AT PDK ABOUT 2400, AND OBTAINED A WEATHER BRIEFING FROM FSS ABOUT 0122. THE BRIEFER INDICATED THAT WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE IFR AND THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS 'INSTRUMENT' BUT THE PLANE WAS NOT (NO ATTITUDE INDICATOR). THE PILOT INDICATED THAT HE DEPARTED PDK FOR MCCOLLUM ABOUT 0245. AT 0306, ZTL RECORDED A CALL FROM THE PILOT THAT HE 'GOT INTO SOME SOUP AND WAS VFR'. HE INIDCATED THAT HE WAS NOT IFR QUALIFIED. AFTER SOME VECTORS, THE PILOT INDICATED THAT HE COULD SEE THE GROUND. HE WAS TURNED TOWARD PDK AT HIS REQUEST AND THEN RADIOED THAT HE WAS OUT OF FUEL. HE HAD INDICATED SUFFICIENT FUEL FOR 1 1/2 HOURS EARLIER IN THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS. TOTAL TIME FROM INITIAL RADIO CONTACT TO FUEL EXHAUSTION WAS ABOUT 32 MINUTES. DURING THE FORCED LANDING THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH A POWER LINE AND TREES.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.

Other Cessna 172 accidents

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
17 Mar 1989 Cessna 172M
N80542
Pascagoula, Mississippi, United States - Fatal 2
21 Mar 1989 Cessna 172H
N1480F
Melbourne, Florida, United States - Serious injuries -
2 Jan 1989 Cessna 172
N4440L
Cheyenne, Wyoming, United States
no coordinates
- No injuries -
21 Nov 1989 Cessna 172
N63496
Bremerton, Washington, United States Flight Tech, Inc Minor injuries -
17 Aug 1989 Cessna 172P
N98584
Superior, Wisconsin, United States - Serious injuries -
4 Jan 1989 Cessna 172
N96319
Longmont, Colorado, United States Denver Air Center No injuries -

All 12,209 records for this type

Other accidents in this area

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
20 Jun 1989 Cessna 172
N1434Y
Franklin, Georgia, United States Dale Spangler Minor injuries -
26 Jun 1989 Boeing 737-291
N7375F
Atlanta, Georgia, United States
no coordinates
- Serious injuries -
6 Aug 1989 Cessna 177B
N35131
Fort Gaines, Georgia, United States
no coordinates
- No injuries -
25 Aug 1989 Piper PA-38-112
N2487N
Gainesville, Georgia, United States
no coordinates
Belle Isle Int'l Acft Sales No injuries -
10 Sep 1989 Aeronca 7AC
N82705
Screven, Georgia, United States - No injuries -
15 Sep 1989 Sikorsky H-34J
N4556D
Louisville, Georgia, United States Clifton D. McGowan No injuries -

All 170,864 records in United States