Cessna 172 N52445

Summary

On 11 September 2015 at about 19:10 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N52445 was involved in an accident near Riegelwood, North Carolina, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

11 September 2015 at 19:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Riegelwood, North Carolina, United States

Coordinates

34.3431, -78.3031

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N52445

Category

Airplane

Year built

1980

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bolton → Wallace

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA15FA351

1 person died.

The noncertificated pilot’s failure to maintain adequate clearance from terrain for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

A witness reported observing the noncertificated pilot depart from a private airstrip. When the pilot did not arrive at his destination as expected, a search and rescue effort was initiated. Subsequently, the wreckage was found 3 miles from the departure airport on a northeast heading, consistent with the flight route toward the intended destination. The wreckage and wreckage path exhibited evidence of a high-speed, low-angle, left-wing-low impact. Day visual meteorological conditions were reported near the accident site around the time of the accident. The pilot was not certificated. Further, his flight experience could not be determined because the most recent records found indicating his flight time were 36 years old. Although the airplane's maintenance records indicated that a recent annual inspection had not been conducted, examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of any preexisting mechanical deficiencies that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot's autopsy findings included significant cardiomegaly; progressive but not occlusive coronary atherosclerosis in identified grafted vessels; and extensive, concentric myocardial scarring. Additionally, the presence of some hyperemia in the posterior medial left ventricle suggested the possibility of ongoing ischemia at the time of the accident, but the microscopic evaluation only identified scarring from more remote cardiac events. Although it is possible that the pilot experienced a cardiac event in flight, because the autopsy did not show evidence of a recent event, the investigation could not determine whether the pilot became impaired or incapacitated by his cardiac disease during the flight. The lack of radar data and witness information and lack of information about the pilot's flight experience precluded a determination of what caused the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.