Cessna 172P N64087

Summary

On 11 July 1989 at about 22:33 local time, a Cessna 172P registered N64087 was involved in an accident near Logansport, Indiana, 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

11 July 1989 at 22:33

Classification

Accident

Location

Logansport, Indiana, United States

Coordinates

40.7492, -86.3493

Aircraft

Cessna 172P

Registration

N64087

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Monroe → Logansport

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI89LA131

1 person had minor injuries.

POOR JUDGEMENT OF THE PILOT DUE TO PHYSICAL IMPAIRMENT FROM CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL, HIS INADVERTENT FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER, AND HIS INADEQUATE CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT DURING A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: THE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND THE PILOT BECOMING SPATIALLY DISORIENTED.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PLT REPORTED THAT HE ENCOUNTERED MARGINAL WX WITH THUNDERSTORMS (TSTMS) & DIVERTED TO PERU, INDIANA; HOWEVER, THUNDERSTORMS WERE THERE AS WELL. HE CONTACTED GRISSOM APCH CONTROL. AFTER SOME DIFFICULTY WITH RADIO RECEPTION, HE OBTAINED VECTORS TO DIVERT TO LOGANSPORT, INDIANA, BUT BY THAT TIME, HE WAS SURROUNDED BY TSTMS. AT AN ALT OF 2500', HE ENCTRD HVY RAIN WITH NO FWD VIS. HE RPRTD THAT HE FLEW INTO A TSTM & ENCTRD SEVERE TURBC. HE STATED THAT 'THE GYROS TUMBLED,' & HE THOUGHT THE ACFT WAS SPINNING, THEN THE ACFT EXITED THE STORM INVERTED, AT AN ALT OF ABOUT 400'. HE RECOVERED FROM THE UNUSUAL ATTITUDE & ELECTED TO LAND. DRG THE LANDING, THE LEFT WING TIP CONTACTED THE GROUND & THE ACFT WAS DAMAGED AS IT SKIDDED TO A STOP. POLICE & MEDICAL PSNL NOTED THE ODOR OF ALCOHOL COMING FROM THE PLT'S BREATH. A SAMPLE OF BLOOD WAS DRAWN FROM THE PLT APRX 3-3/4 HRS AFTER THE ACDNT. A TOXICOLOGY CHECK OF THE SAMPLE SHOWED THE PLT HAD A BLOOD/ALCOHOL LVL OF 0.16%. HE WAS DENIED A MED CERT AFTER HEART SURGERY IN 1975.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.