Cessna 172N N5618J
7 February 1997 · Madras, Oregon, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 7 February 1997 at about 00:30 local time, a Cessna 172N registered N5618J was involved in an accident near Madras, Oregon, United States. 3 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 00:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Madras, Oregon, United States
- Coordinates
- 44.6004, -121.0503
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N
- Registration
- N5618J
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Klamath Falls → The Dallles
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- IMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- SEA97LA059
People
2 people were seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's inadvertent visual flight rules (VFR) flight into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). Factors include the pilot's improper decision to fly under a low ceiling while in mountainous/hilly terrain, and his encounter with fog and low clouds while maneuvering in a narrow canyon.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot had been en route in visual meteorological conditions, but came to a point where it appeared low-level clouds stretched many miles ahead toward his destination. He therefore elected to attempt to fly underneath the overcast through the mountainous/hilly terrain that was between his location and his destination. While flying through a narrow canyon under the lowering ceiling, he encountered an area of fog and low clouds, and therefore elected to reverse course. During the reversal, the pilot inadvertently entered instrument meteorological conditions, and immediately initiated a climb. While attempting to climb out of the conditions, he saw an area of terrain that he thought he should try to crash land on. As he maneuvered to execute the crash landing, the aircraft impacted a tree, and the left wing separated from the fuselage.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Dec 1997 | Boeing 737-522 | Eugene, Oregon, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 18 Oct 1997 | Beechcraft V-35 | Medford, Oregon, United States | Robert R. Francis | Serious injuries | - |
| 23 Oct 1997 | Cessna 185A | Damascus, Oregon, United States | Roger C. Snyder | Fatal | 2 |
| 26 Oct 1997 | Beckham RV-4 | Scio, Oregon, United States | Hatch, Everett, W. | Fatal | 1 |
| 7 Nov 1997 | Aerostar PA-60-700P | Portland, Oregon, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 8 Nov 1997 | Bell 206B | Forest Grove, Oregon, United States | - | No injuries | - |