Cessna 172E N3097U
26 October 1997 · Elkton, Virginia, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 26 October 1997 at about 16:43 local time, a Cessna 172E registered N3097U was involved in an accident near Elkton, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 16:43
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Elkton, Virginia, United States
- Coordinates
- 38.4107, -78.6098
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172E
- Registration
- N3097U
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Winchester → West Palm Beach
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- IMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- NYC98FA020
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's intention VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions. Contributing factors were clouds and mountainous/hilly terrain..
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The private pilot took off on a VFR cross country flight in IMC conditions. The pilot did not possess an instrument rating and the airplane was not certified for IFR operation. He did not obtain a weather briefing and did not file a flight plan. The pilot told a witness that he planned to 'get above the clouds.' Radar data revealed the airplane was aloft for 1 hour and 43 minutes, but traveled a straight line distance of only 46 miles. Examination of the airplane's ground track revealed several heading changes greater than 270 degrees with three turns of 360 degrees. The airplane came to rest suspended in trees on top of a ridgeline approximately 3,300 feet above sea level.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Cessna 172 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Jun 1997 | Cessna 172P | Fowlerville, Michigan, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Jul 1997 | Cessna 172N | Lakeland, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 20 Jul 1997 | Cessna 172M | Athens, Tennessee, United States | Michael B. Guest | No injuries | - |
| 24 Nov 1997 | Cessna 172N | La Jolla, California, United States | Richard Jones | Fatal | 1 |
| 8 Aug 1997 | Cessna 172P | Rockhill, South Carolina, United States | Scott S. Fisher | Minor injuries | - |
| 22 Mar 1997 | Cessna 172 | Middletown, Ohio, United States | Barbara F. Schmidt | No injuries | - |
All 12,209 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Apr 1997 | I C A Brasov IS-28B2 | Waynesboro, Virginia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 10 May 1997 | North American B-25J | Midland, Virginia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 5 Jun 1997 | North American NAVION | Fredericksburg, Virginia, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 3 Jan 1997 | Aerostar 601P | Chesapeake, Virginia, United States | Christopher Pavlides | Fatal | 4 |
| 10 Jun 1997 | Luscombe LL-8-E | Charlottesville, Virginia, United States | Andrew E. Guthrow | No injuries | - |
| 16 Jun 1997 | Goodwin RANS S-4 | Cedar Bluff, Virginia, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |