History of Flight
On October 13, 2017, at 1734 central daylight time, a Cessna 172M airplane, N7CF, collided with power lines and the Mississippi River near Ramsey, Minnesota, resulting in the destruction of the airplane. The pilot and passenger sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and the flight was not operated on a flight plan. The local flight originated from Princeton Municipal Airport (PNM), Princeton, Minnesota, at about 1705.
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air traffic control radar data depicted the airplane on a visual flight rules (VFR) transponder code near PNM. Initial contact was recorded at 1708, and the airplane proceeded south. At 1731, it turned southeast for about 1 mile before reversing course to the northwest and proceeding along the Mississippi River. The final radar data point was recorded at 1733, with the airplane approximately 0.25 mile east of the Ferry Street Bridge and about 2.5 miles southeast of the power lines. No altitude (Mode C) data was available.
Ground-based video footage from a witness located about 200 yards east of the accident site showed the airplane flying at low altitude over the Mississippi River. The airplane appeared near treetop level, proceeding northwest along the river, intact and in a shallow left turn, apparently to follow a bend in the river.
Witnesses reported seeing the airplane strike power lines as it flew along the river. Several noted that the airplane was below the level of the trees lining both sides of the river. One witness initially thought the pilot intended to fly under the power lines due to the low altitude. Several witnesses also reported that the engine sound seemed normal and steady before the accident.
Personnel and Aircraft Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate issued in November 2012. On the application for that certificate, he reported 70 hours of total flight time. His pilot logbook was reportedly kept in the airplane and was not recovered. On his most recent FAA airman medical certificate application in March 2017, the pilot reported 300 hours of total civilian flight time, with 35 hours flown in the preceding 6 months.
The pilot's flight instructor informed FAA inspectors that the pilot was "reckless" when he flew due to his habit of low-level flying. The instructor stated that he had counseled the pilot not to fly in such a manner. The pilot's father also told FAA inspectors that his son habitually flew at low altitudes along the Mississippi River.
The airplane, a Cessna 172M, originally had a 150-horsepower Lycoming O-320-E2D engine, which was replaced in December 1984 with a 180-horsepower Lycoming O-360-A1A engine. The propeller was also changed at that time under Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) SA807CE. In December 1986, the airframe was converted from tricycle to tail wheel landing gear under STC SA5433SW. In May 1996, an 18-gallon supplemental fuel tank was installed in the aft baggage compartment under STC SA615NE.
Maintenance records showed that the transponder was tested and inspected in September 2010, with no subsequent entries. The pilot's mechanic confirmed that the airplane was equipped with automatic pressure altitude reporting equipment with Mode C capability.
Meteorological Information
According to data from the U.S. Naval Observatory, at the time of the accident, the sun was approximately 9° above the horizon to the west-southwest (249°). Sunset was at 1831 on the day of the accident.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane impacted a set of four power lines installed across the Mississippi River. The river was about 190 yards wide and bordered by wooded areas on both sides at that location. The power lines were located about 200 yards west of a bend in the river. East of the bend, the river oriented northwest (about 300°); west of the bend, it oriented southwest (about 250°).
The power lines had dual-pole supports on each shoreline. The poles extended about 47 feet above ground level, approximately the height of the trees along the river banks. According to witness statements, the power lines were equipped with red aerial marker balls.
The airplane was recovered from the river two days after the accident; but the wings and cabin doors had separated from the fuselage and were not recovered. A postaccident examination revealed no anomalies consistent with a preimpact failure or malfunction.
Additional Information
FAA regulations (14 CFR 91.13) prohibit operating an aircraft in a careless or reckless manner endangering life or property. Additionally, 14 CFR 91.119 requires pilots to maintain at least 1,000 feet above the highest obstacle within a 2,000-foot horizontal radius in congested areas, and at least 500 feet above the surface in uncongested areas, except over open water or sparsely populated areas, where the aircraft may not be operated closer than 500 feet to any person, vessel, vehicle, or structure.
FAA regulations (14 CFR 91.215) require aircraft within 30 miles of Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport from the surface to 10,000 feet mean sea level to have an operable transponder and Mode C-capable altitude reporting equipment. Per 14 CFR 91.413, a transponder may not be used unless tested and inspected within the preceding 24 months. The accident site was within 30 miles of Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
An autopsy of the pilot performed on October 16, 2017, at the Midwest Medical Examiner's Office in Ramsey, Minnesota, attributed his death to blunt force injuries from the accident. Toxicology testing by the FAA Bioaeronautical Research Sciences Laboratory was negative for all drugs in the testing profile.