Cessna 172E N3531S

Summary

On 4 January 1990 at about 09:35 local time, a Cessna 172E registered N3531S was involved in an accident near Hammond, Louisiana, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

4 January 1990 at 09:35

Classification

Accident

Location

Hammond, Louisiana, United States

Nearest airport

Hammond Muni (OR9)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Cessna 172E

Registration

N3531S

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Tuscaloosa → New Orleans

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

FTW90LA049

2 people had minor injuries.

PILOT IN COMMAND'S INITIATION AND CONTINUATION OF THE FLIGHT INTO AN AREA OF KNOWN IMC WEATHER CONDITIONS AND HIS SUBSEQUENT INABILITY TO LAND PRIOR TO RUNNING OUT OF FUEL. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO EXERCISE GOOD JUDGEMENT AND HIS DISREGARD FOR THE FEDERAL AIR REGULATIONS.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE STUDENT PILOT RECEIVED TWO WEATHER BRIEFINGS DURING WHICH HE WAS TOLD AT FIRST THAT HIS ROUTE OF FLIGHT WAS MARGINAL VFR AND LATER THAT IT HAD GONE IFR. IN BOTH CASES, HE WAS TOLD THAT VFR WAS NOT RECOMMENDED. IN A POST-ACCIDENT INTERVIEW THE PILOT STATED THAT MARGINAL WEATHER DID NOT BOTHER HIM AND THAT HE KNEW 'HOW TO FLY IN THE CLOUDS'. ABOUT 2:10 AFTER DEPARTURE, THE PILOT CONTACTED NEW ORLEANS APPROACH CONTROL AND REQUESTED ASSISTANCE IN GETTING TO HIS DESTINATION AIRPORT. HE WAS TOLD THAT ALL OF THE AIRPORTS IN THE AREA WERE IFR. DURING THE NEXT 1:38 CONTROLLER ATTEMPTED TO VECTOR THE PILOT TO AIRPORTS IN THE AREA IN ATTEMPTS TO GET THE AIRPLANE DOWN. ANOTHER AIRPLANE ASSISTED IN THESE EFFORTS, BUT IN EACH CASE, THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE THE AIRPORTS DUE TO THE THICK UNDERCAST CONDITIONS. WHILE BEING VECTORED FOR AN ILS, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HIS ENGINE QUIT DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. HE WAS UNABLE TO GLIDE TO THE AIRPORT AND CRASHED INTO TREES ABOUT 8 MILES SHORT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.