Cessna 172M N12219
9 December 1997 · New Salem, Massachusetts, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 9 December 1997 at about 19:30 local time, a Cessna 172M registered N12219, operated by Perry D Safran, was involved in an accident near New Salem, Massachusetts, United States. 2 people were on board and one died, one was seriously injured. 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 19:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- New Salem, Massachusetts, United States
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M
- Registration
- N12219
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Perry D Safran
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Warehouse Point → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- NYC98LA039
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate altitude/clearance above the water due to his impairment by drugs. A factor in this accident was the glassy water condition.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
While over a reservoir, the passenger felt the airplane was low and asked the pilot, 'why don't you pull up a little bit?' The pilot stated the view is better down low and sarcastically asked the passenger, 'what are you scared?' The airplane's wheels then contacted the water and the airplane flipped over. The passenger indicated several times that there were no abnormalities with the airplane's engine, and it was running right up to impact. Additionally, passenger stated the pilot was adjusting a rotating wheel in the airplane's center console just prior to the impact and the water over the reservoir appeared very smooth, like a sheet of ice. Examination of the airframe did not disclose any abnormalities. Toxicological tests detected levels of cocaine and drugs used for control of cold/allergy symptoms with illness effects of distraction, sensory disturbance or impaired judgement.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Jan 1997 | Cessna 152 | North Andover, Massachusetts, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 7 Jun 1997 | Piper PA-17 | Mansfield, Massachusetts, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 8 Jun 1997 | Schweizer SGS 135 | Pepperell, Massachusetts, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 27 Sep 1997 | Fairchild Hiller FH-1100 | Pittsfield, Massachusetts, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 25 Jan 1997 | Cessna 402C | Provincetown, Massachusetts, United States | Hyannis Air Service | No injuries | - |
| 22 Jul 1997 | Cessna 172E | Fitchburg, Massachusetts, United States | Andrew H Liebfried | No injuries | - |