Cessna 172N N734NB

Summary

On 9 October 1994 at about 14:10 local time, a Cessna 172N registered N734NB was involved in an accident near Fancy Gap, Virginia, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

9 October 1994 at 14:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Fancy Gap, Virginia, United States

Coordinates

36.6603, -80.6997

Aircraft

Cessna 172N

Registration

N734NB

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bluefield → Winston Salem

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

BFO95FA001

1 person died.

The pilot's inadequate inflight planning and his failure to maintain adequate terrain clearance. Other related factors are: fog, rain, VFR flight into IMC, inexperience and mountainous terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE STUDENT PILOT WAS ON A RETURN VFR FLIGHT AFTER VISITING FAMILY RELATIVES WHEN THE AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND COLLIDED WITH TREES IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. THERE WERE NO WITNESSES WHO SAW THE CRASH; HOWEVER, SEVERAL WITNESSES IN THE AREA REPORTED SEEING AN AIRPLANE FLYING IN AND OUT OF CLOUDS, AND ALONG AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. THE WEATHER WAS DESCRIBED AS FOG AND RAIN. ACCORDING TO THE OWNER, THE PILOT WAS NOT AUTHORIZED TO USE THE AIRPLANE. FAA RECORDS INDICATE THE PILOT WAS LAST ISSUED A THIRD CLASS MEDICAL CERTIFICATE IN JULY 1989 AT WHICH TIME THE PILOT REPORTED 23 HOURS OF TOTAL FLIGHT TIME. THE EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE DID NOT DISCLOSE EVIDENCE OF PREACCIDENT MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.