On November 26, 1993, a Cessna 172 (registration N7702U) was involved in an aviation accident near Gadsden, AL. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE PRE-FLIGHT PREPARATION AND HIS CONTINUED VISUAL FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. FACTORS WERE FOG, LOW CEILING, AND HILLY TERRAIN. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
An airplane positioning for an annual inspection collided with electrical wires, trees, and terrain after reversing course. No weather briefing was found; ceiling was 500 ft at destination. The accident site was in a valley between ridges, with the ridge top shrouded in clouds.
Accident Details
The pilot was positioning the airplane to have an annual inspection performed. No record of a weather briefing for the flight was found. At the time of departure, the weather reporting facility nearest the destination indicated the ceiling was 500 feet. Mountainous terrain separated the departure airport and the destination.
The pilot's log showed that he had previously flown to the destination. The direction of the wreckage trail suggested the pilot had reversed course, as the flight path led away from the destination.
Wreckage and Witnesses
The accident site was located adjacent to an interstate highway that ran through a valley between two ridges. Damage to the airplane demonstrated that it had collided with electrical transmission wires, trees, and the ground. Local witnesses confirmed that the top of the impacted ridge was shrouded in clouds.
What happened in the 26 Nov 1993 Cessna 172 accident near Gadsden, AL?
An airplane positioning for an annual inspection collided with electrical wires, trees, and terrain after reversing course. No weather briefing was found; ceiling was 500 ft at destination. The accident site was in a valley between ridges, with the ridge top shrouded in clouds.
What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?
The accident on 26 Nov 1993 involved a Cessna 172, registration N7702U, at Gadsden, AL.
What was the probable cause of the accident?
THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE PRE-FLIGHT PREPARATION AND HIS CONTINUED VISUAL FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. FACTORS WERE FOG, LOW CEILING, AND HILLY TERRAIN.
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