Cessna 172M N5280R

Summary

On 17 March 1989 at about 13:50 local time, a Cessna 172M registered N5280R, operated by Adolphsen, Wayne E., was involved in an accident near Galveston, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and one was seriously injured, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

17 March 1989 at 13:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Galveston, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Scholes Field (GLS)

Coordinates

29.2797, -94.8299

Aircraft

Cessna 172M

Registration

N5280R

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Adolphsen, Wayne E.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Shreveport → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW89LA068

1 person was seriously injured.

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT AIRSPEED, WHICH RESULTED IN A STALL AND LOSS OF CONTROL. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: THE WEATHER CONDITIONS, WHICH WERE BELOW MINIMUMS, AND FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO PERFORM A MISSED APPROACH.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

AFTER BEING CLRD FOR AN ILS RWY 13 APCH TO SCHOLES FIELD, THE ACFT CRASHED APRX 75 YDS NORTH OF THE RWY & CAME TO REST INVERTED ON A HDG OF 330 DEG. THERE WAS EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE ENG & PROP, & THE FUSELAGE WAS BROKEN AFT OF THE COCKPIT, BUT THE WINGS & EMPENNAGE WERE RELATIVELY INTACT. ALTHO, BOTH OCCUPANTS SURVIVED THE ACDNT, THE PLT WAS UNABLE TO REMEMBER THE OCCURRENCE DUE TO HIS INJURIES. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE WX HAD BEEN VARIALBLE. AT 0656 CST, WHEN THE PLT 1ST CTCD HOUSTON APCH CTL, THE GALVESTON WX WAS IN PART: INDEFINITE CEILING, 100' OBSCD, VIS 3/16 MI WITH FOG. AT 0718, THE PLT WAS ADZD OF NEW WX WHICH WAS IN PART: SKY PARTIALLY OBSCD, 300' THIN SCATTERED, CEILING 800' OVC, VIS 3/4 MI WITH FOG. AT 0736, THE PLT WAS ADZD OF A SPCL WX OBS, WHICH WAS IN PART: SKY PARTIALLY OBSCD, 300' THIN SCATTERED, 800' OVC, VIS 3/16 MI WITH FOG. A SUBSEQUENT WX OBS (NOT AVAIL TO PLT WHEN HE WAS CLRD FOR THE APCH AT 0742) WAS IN PART: 300' OBSCD, VIS 1/16 MI WITH FOG. WX MINS FOR THE ILS APCH WERE: 200' CEILING & 1/2 MI VIS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.