Plane Crash List

Cessna 172M N19929

30 August 2003 · Hendersonville, North Carolina, United States · Serious injuries

Summary

On 30 August 2003 at about 16:09 local time, a Cessna 172M registered N19929, operated by William Patrick Wirtz, was involved in an accident near Hendersonville, North Carolina, United States. 3 people were on board and 2 were 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 16:09
Classification
Accident
Location
Hendersonville, North Carolina, United States
Nearest airport
Hendersonville, NC (K0A7)
Coordinates
35.3075, -82.4331
Aircraft
Cessna 172M
Registration
N19929
Category
Airplane
Engines
1
Operator
William Patrick Wirtz
Operating rule
Part 91: General Aviation
Purpose of flight
Personal
Phase of flight
Not recorded
Route
Hendersonville → Unknown
Aircraft damage
Substantial
Weather
VMC
Light
Day
NTSB number
ATL03LA131

People

2 people were seriously injured.

On board Died Serious Minor Uninjured
3 0 2 0 1

Probable cause

The pilot's inadequate evaluation of the weather. The downdraft was a contributing factor.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot, the airplane encountered a downdraft shortly after takeoff and sank into the trees. Examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of engine malfunction. The nearest weather observation station reported at 1154 winds were calm, at 1254 winds were from 350 degrees at 5 knots, at 1320 winds were from 240 degrees at 12 knots gusting to 16 knots with heavy rain, and at 1325 winds were variable at 6 knots gusting to 29 knots with heavy rain.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.

Other Cessna 172 accidents

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
25 Dec 2003 Cessna 172RG
N4721R
Key West, Florida, United States Avion Jet Center, LLC No injuries -
16 Mar 2003 Cessna 172N
N5315D
Foley, Minnesota, United States - Fatal 3
12 Jul 2003 Cessna 172S
N5327G
Chandler, Arizona, United States Angel Air No injuries -
18 Jan 2003 Cessna 172
N6312E
Chesapeake, Virginia, United States - No injuries -
21 Mar 2003 Cessna 172S
N219ME
Monroe, Georgia, United States Elite Flight Center Fatal 2
22 Aug 2003 Cessna 172S
N53033
Lake Elmo, Minnesota, United States Wings, Inc. Fatal 3

All 12,209 records for this type

Other accidents in this area

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
27 Sep 2003 Cessna 150A
N5581E
Beaufort, North Carolina, United States - Minor injuries -
18 Aug 2003 William Allen MONI-1
N240A
Timberlake, North Carolina, United States - Serious injuries -
3 Oct 2003 Whitty MUSTANG II
N888PW
Holly Ridge, North Carolina, United States - Fatal 1
22 Nov 2003 Cessna 172
N61924
Hickory, North Carolina, United States - No injuries -
19 Jul 2003 Boeing PT-17
N411BT
Hendersonville, North Carolina, United States - Minor injuries -
12 May 2003 American General AG5B
N1193W
Beaufort, North Carolina, United States - No injuries -

All 170,864 records in United States