ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 179508
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| Date: | Friday 11 September 2015 |
| Time: | 15:10 |
| Type: |  Cessna 172P Skyhawk |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N52445 |
| MSN: | 17274526 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1980 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 10527 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-320-D2J |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Columbus County, west of Riegelwood, NC -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Bolton, NC (PVT) |
| Wallace, NC (ACZ) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
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.
Probable Cause: The noncertificated pilot’s failure to maintain adequate clearance from terrain for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
FAA register: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=N52445
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 12-Sep-2015 18:06 | gerard57 | Added |
| 12-Sep-2015 18:08 | harro | Updated [Aircraft type, Location, Source] |
| 13-Sep-2015 00:46 | Geno | Updated [Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source] |
| 14-Sep-2015 15:27 | Geno | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Source] |
| 23-Sep-2015 05:54 | Mike F | Updated [Narrative] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:30 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 31-Mar-2017 08:18 | PiperOnslaught | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 19-Aug-2017 14:00 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Operator, Other fatalities, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
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