History of Flight
On July 3, 2009, at 1329 central daylight time, a Cessna 172, N8138B, was substantially damaged when it struck power lines and impacted terrain near Latimer, Iowa. The pilot, who was also the registered owner and operator, was fatally injured. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 in day visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The local flight had departed from Hampton Municipal Airport (KHPT) near Hampton, Iowa, at an unconfirmed time.
According to the pilot's wife, earlier that day the pilot gave airplane rides to friends, flying over Iowa Falls and Sheffield, Iowa. Shortly before the accident, the airplane flew over their residence, signaling that he was done flying and needed to be picked up. The wife drove east on County Highway 25 (190th Street) toward the airport. She observed the airplane in her rear-view mirror following her car at low altitude before it suddenly descended nose-first into the ground.
A witness working in her backyard heard two impact sounds from the road in front of her residence. Her view to the south and west was obscured by her house and trees. After hearing the first impact, her children called her to the front yard, where she saw wreckage on the road. She did not hear an airplane before the impact. The surrounding terrain consisted of open agricultural fields.
Personnel Information
The 44-year-old pilot held a private pilot certificate with a single-engine land rating, issued August 15, 2002. His last aviation medical exam was on July 3, 2007, when he received a third-class medical certificate with a limitation requiring corrective lenses for near vision. FAA records showed no prior accidents, incidents, or enforcement actions.
The pilot's most recent logbook entry was dated March 21, 2009, showing 180.8 hours total flight time, with 153.6 hours as pilot-in-command. He had 180.8 hours in single-engine airplanes, 16.2 hours at night, and 3.3 hours in simulated instrument conditions. He flew 25.4 hours in the past 2 years, 8.8 hours in the past year, 1 hour in the prior 6 months, and no hours in the previous 90 days. His most recent flight review was completed in the accident airplane on November 29, 2008.
Aircraft Information
The accident airplane was a 1957 Cessna 172, serial number 29938, a high-wing, all-metal, four-place monoplane with a maximum takeoff weight of 2,200 pounds. It was powered by a 145-horsepower Continental O-300-A engine driving a McCauley fixed-pitch, two-blade metal propeller.
The airplane received its standard airworthiness certificate on June 1, 1957. Total airframe and engine time at the accident was 3,144 hours. The engine had 791.5 hours since its last major overhaul. The last annual inspection was completed on May 3, 2008, at 3,122 hours. Maintenance records showed no unresolved airworthiness issues.
Meteorological Information
The closest weather reporting facility was Iowa Falls Municipal Airport (KIFA), about 23 miles south of the accident site. At 1335, KIFA reported wind from 170 degrees at 3 knots, visibility 10 miles, clear skies, temperature 25°C, dew point 15°C, and altimeter 30.12 inHg.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane struck an east/west asphalt road about 5 miles northeast of Latimer, Iowa. The debris path was about 300 feet long on an easterly heading. Seventy-foot-high power lines crossed the road; one tower had a displaced wind dampener, consistent with a line being stretched beyond design limits, though no lines were broken. The nose landing gear was found about 100 feet west of the power lines, with striations on the fork consistent with a power line strike. The main wreckage was about 150 feet east of the power lines.
The airplane came to rest inverted on its upper fuselage. The forward fuselage and engine were crushed rearward to the forward cabin door frame, consistent with a near-vertical impact. All flight control surfaces remained attached, and control cable continuity was confirmed. Wing flaps were fully retracted. The throttle was about 1 inch from full, mixture full rich, carburetor heat off, primer locked, magneto switch set to both. Fuel was present in both tanks, and the fuel selector was on both. The fuel strainer was clean.
The engine remained attached by control cables; mounts were separated from the crankcase, and the oil pan was fractured, exposing internal components. Visual inspection showed all internal components remained connected, including crankshaft, connecting rods, pistons, and camshaft. The crankshaft was displaced rearward, preventing rotation. Magneto spark was confirmed on all leads. Upper spark plugs showed normal wear. The propeller remained attached to the flange, but the crankshaft fractured aft of the flange, consistent with overstress. The spinner was crushed, and one blade was bent aft 30 degrees with chordwise scratches; the other blade curled aft near the tip with leading edge polishing.
The postaccident investigation found no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have prevented normal operation.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy on July 4, 2009, by the Iowa State Medical Examiner attributed the pilot's cause of death to multiple blunt force injuries sustained in the accident. FAA toxicology tests were negative for carbon monoxide, cyanide, ethanol, and drugs.