On September 24, 1997, a Cessna 172M (registration N6756H) was involved in an aviation accident near Bremerton, WA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's misjudgment of distance and altitude from the runway, and his subsequent failure to maintain clearance from the terrain. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A private pilot on a night cross-country flight with friends had difficulty locating the airport. The airplane struck trees and came to rest in a pond short of the runway. The front seat occupants drowned. The VASI was out of service.
Background
A private pilot visiting friends arrived at an unfamiliar airport and requested authorization to rent an airplane from an operator. The pilot intended to fly friends on a night cross-country flight but did not inform the flight instructor who conducted the authorization flight. The instructor reviewed the pilot's logbook but failed to notice that the pilot had not logged any of his 3 hours of total night flying time in about 2 years. Despite published night flying requirements that the pilot did not meet, the operator's dispatcher allowed the pilot to rent the airplane for the flight.
The Flight
During the return flight to the airport, the pilot told controllers that he was having difficulty locating the airport. On final approach, the airplane impacted trees and came to rest in a 3-foot-deep pond, approximately half a mile short of the runway. The visual approach slope indicator (VASI) lighting for the runway was out of service for routine maintenance, and a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) had been issued.
Post-Accident Examination
Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunction. The front seat occupants, who were not wearing shoulder harnesses, drowned.