History of the Flight
On November 8, 2014, at approximately 1822 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172S, registration N2152T, was substantially damaged when it impacted trees and the ground in the George Washington National Forest, near Hinton, Virginia. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The certificated flight instructor (CFI) was fatally injured, and the student pilot received serious injuries. The instructional flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 and had departed from Winchester Airport (OKV), Winchester, Virginia, after reportedly performing at least one touch-and-go landing maneuver. The intended destination was Ingalls Field Airport (HSP), Hot Springs, Virginia.
According to the student pilot, the flight was originally scheduled in a G-1000 equipped Cessna 172, but the night before, that airplane was unavailable, so the accident airplane was substituted. The CFI had requested the student plan a route from Frederick Municipal Airport (FDK) to OKV for pattern work, then to Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport (CHO), with a return to FDK. On the accident day, the student submitted the flight plan, but the CFI changed the destination to HSP without requiring additional preflight planning. The flight departed FDK about 1700. En route, the CFI instructed navigation to the Martinsburg VOR, then gave a heading to OKV for landings. After several landings, the CFI assigned a heading of 240 degrees and an altitude of 3,000 feet mean sea level. The student queried the CFI about terrain elevation; the CFI replied he did not know because the aircraft lacked the G-1000. The student reported no aeronautical charts were out for immediate reference. About 68 miles from the destination, the CFI demonstrated the autopilot with altitude hold at 3,000 feet. Just prior to impact, the student observed airspeed decrease from 120 knots to 90 knots, the CFI applied full power, and the airplane impacted terrain. The student stated it was "pitch black outside" and the engine responded normally.
Personnel Information
The CFI, age 49, held an airline transport pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, multiengine land, helicopter, and commercial privileges for sea and glider. He held flight instructor certificates for airplane single-engine, multiengine, instrument, and glider, and a first-class medical certificate dated December 19, 2013, with a restriction for corrective lenses. His logbook showed 5,941.1 total flight hours, 1,182.2 hours as an instructor, and 410.7 night hours. His most recent flight review was on October 9, 2014.
The student pilot, age 51, held a third-class medical and student pilot certificate issued September 15, 2014. His logbook indicated 23.8 total flight hours (22.5 in the accident make/model), no solo flights, and 4.5 night hours.
Aircraft Information
The airplane, serial number 172S9446, was issued an airworthiness certificate on July 30, 2003, and registered to Victor Tango LLC. It was powered by a Lycoming IO-360-L2A engine (180 hp) with a McCauley propeller. The most recent phase III inspection was on September 11, 2014, at which time the airframe had 4,263.3 hours. The engine had been overhauled and reinstalled on the same date, with 4,001.6 total hours and 23.1 hours since overhaul. The tachometer at the accident site indicated 1,328.2 hours.
Meteorological Information
The 1815 weather observation at Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport (SHD), about 18 miles south, included wind from 190 degrees at 6 knots, visibility 10 miles, clear skies, temperature 8°C, dew point -1°C, barometric altimeter 29.93 inches of mercury. Sunset occurred at 1709, end of civil twilight at 1736, and moonrise at 1849 with 96% illumination.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane impacted a mountainside at approximately 3,100 feet msl, about 300 feet below the ridgeline top. The debris path was oriented on a 212-degree true heading, beginning with tree impacts about 100 feet northwest of the main wreckage. The left wingtip was found about 25 feet from the main wreckage, and a ground scar on a rock with broken propeller blade pieces was at the path's end. The main wreckage rested 20 feet downhill against a tree in a near-vertical attitude. The engine remained attached; one propeller blade was separated mid-span. Examination revealed no evidence of pre-impact mechanical malfunctions. The engine controls were found full forward, the flap handle in the UP position (flaps retracted), and the fuel selector in BOTH. The engine was determined to be operating normally at impact.
Survival Aspects
After the airplane failed to return, a search was initiated the following morning after the student pilot's father reported it overdue. The wreckage was located later that day. The ELT was found with its ON light illuminated and later tested audible. Several reports of an ELT signal had been received by an FAA Air Traffic Control facility, but the supervisor did not investigate or relay to search and rescue until after the airplane was reported overdue.
Additional Information
The route of flight from OKV to HSP was direct and crossed a Designated Mountainous Area at the selected cruise altitude of 3,000 feet msl. The Cincinnati Sectional Aeronautical Chart showed a maximum elevation figure of 5,100 feet in the quadrangle containing the accident site, with an elevation mark of 3,700 feet near the accident location. The only aeronautical chart found in the wreckage was the Washington Sectional chart, folded inside the CFI's flight bag.