Cessna 172M N1499U

Summary

On 24 October 1997 at about 13:42 local time, a Cessna 172M registered N1499U was involved in an accident near Rabun Gap, Georgia, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

24 October 1997 at 13:42

Classification

Accident

Location

Rabun Gap, Georgia, United States

Coordinates

34.9496, -83.3894

Aircraft

Cessna 172M

Registration

N1499U

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Athens → Franklin

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA98FA015

2 people died.

The pilot's continued flight under visual flight rules into known instrument meteorological conditions and his failure to maintain a safe altitude for terrain clearance resulting in the aircraft colliding with trees and the ground on the side of a mountain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot received a weather briefing, which showed instrument flight rules conditions were present along the route of flight near the destination. An enroute stop was made about 57 miles south of the destination and a special VFR clearance was received to land at the airport due to instrument meteorological conditions. The flight departed for the destination after receiving another special VFR clearance, and after frequency change was approved, no further transmissions were received from the flight. The aircraft wreckage was found at the 4,400-foot msl level on a 4,600-foot msl mountain, 15 miles southeast of the destination. The aircraft had collided with trees while on a northerly heading, in a level attitude, causing separation of the outboard wings. Postcrash examination of the aircraft, flight controls, and engine showed no evidence of precrash failure or malfunction. At the time of the accident, the weather reporting stations around the crash site were showing broken to overcast ceilings between 3,800 and 4,200 feet msl with visibilities 1.5-5 miles in mist and light rain.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.