Cessna 172M N9160H

Summary

On 16 February 2024 at about 16:29 local time, a Cessna 172M registered N9160H was involved in an accident near Brookwood, Alabama, 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

16 February 2024 at 16:29

Classification

Accident

Location

Brookwood, Alabama, United States

Coordinates

33.0000, -87.0000

Aircraft

Cessna 172M

Registration

N9160H

Category

Airplane

Year built

1975

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Tuscaloosa → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA24LA114

1 person died.

The pilot’s failure to see and avoid powerlines while maneuvering at low altitude.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Witnesses reported the airplane was flying low over a river with the engine operating at a high rpm when it collided with a set of powerlines about 60-80 ft above the ground. The airplane descended into the river and sank, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane and fatal injury to the pilot. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Although an autopsy of the pilot revealed hypertensive and arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, given the airplane’s low and level flight before the collision a cardiac event was unlikely to have contributed to the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.