History of Flight
On July 6, 2019, at approximately 1515 central daylight time, a Cessna 172R, registration N994CP, was destroyed in an accident near Oxford, Mississippi. The student pilot sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was being operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight.
The solo cross-country flight departed Golden Triangle Regional Airport (GTR) in Columbus, Mississippi, around 1400, with a destination of University-Oxford Airport (UOX) in Oxford, Mississippi. A fixed-base operator employee at UOX reported hearing the pilot announce on the common traffic advisory frequency that the airplane was landing on runway 9. The witness stated that the pilot's voice sounded "panicked" and that she did not finish her sentences. The pilot did not respond to a request for the airplane’s location from a helicopter in the area. The witness observed the airplane approach runway 9 with a tailwind. The airplane did not touch the runway; abeam the windsock near midfield, the airplane began to climb at a "steep" angle. The witness indicated that he did not hear any engine anomalies. He stated that the airplane veered toward a golf course and then went "straight down behind the trees." He observed smoke about three minutes later above the treeline. The witness noted that a local Federal Aviation Administration air traffic control center had called a few minutes before the landing attempt and was trying to locate the airplane.
A witness at the golf course reported seeing the airplane above the trees over the 16th hole; the airplane appeared to be "struggling" to maintain airspeed, was nose up, and looked "very close to stalling." The witness indicated that the airplane then made a hard left turn and lost altitude. He thought the airplane was attempting a landing on the 17th fairway. The airplane continued the left turn, struck the ground, and slid to nearby trees. Radar data was consistent with these witness statements.
Good Samaritans and first responders attempted to extract the pilot from the cockpit but could not; the seatbelt and shoulder harness retained the pilot. A ground fire subsequently occurred. Firefighters contained the fire, and the pilot was extracted and airlifted to a hospital.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane came to rest on a golf course approximately 1,200 feet north of the runway 9 centerline, with a resting heading of about 170°. A ground scar consistent with a left main landing gear impression was found about 70 feet north of the wreckage, and abeam that scar to the east was a depression consistent with left wing contact. A ground scar consistent with a cowling and nose landing gear impression was located about 58 feet north of the wreckage. Retaining clips resembling those from the nose landing gear were found near this scar, and the scar exhibited a depression consistent with a propeller strike. The fuselage's center section was melted, deformed, and discolored by fire. Sections of the left and right wing struts were found under their respective wings. The outboard section of the left wing was deformed and wrinkled upward and rearward, consistent with ground contact. The empennage was upright. The engine and its attached propeller were found inverted, partially connected to the firewall underneath the forward fuselage. An outboard section of one propeller blade was melted, while the other blade exhibited forward bending.
An on-scene examination established flight control continuity from the cockpit to all control surfaces. Engine control continuity was also confirmed from the cockpit to the engine. Removed spark plugs exhibited a normal combustion appearance. Thumb compression was present in three cylinders when the crankshaft was rotated. All rocker covers were removed, and valve train components moved accordingly during rotation. The No. 4 cylinder was removed and showed material under its exhaust valve. Oil was present in the engine crankcase upon cylinder removal. No debris was observed in the oil screen, oil filter, or fuel servo screen. Rear-mounted engine accessories exhibited deformation and discoloration consistent with thermal fire damage. The flap jackscrew showed no thread extension, consistent with retracted flaps.
The No. 4 cylinder was examined at the National Transportation Safety Board Materials Laboratory. The cylinder components were discolored with surface deposits consistent with fire damage. A section of deformed exhaust riser was attached to the cylinder assembly, with a gap at the attachment to the cylinder head. The exhaust valve was slightly open, with a gap between the valve head and seat. A gray deposit was observed within the gap on the upper side of the exhaust valve. Upon disassembly, dull gray deposits with smooth surfaces, consistent with previously molten aluminum alloy, were found around the valve stem and on the valve head. The deposit shape indicated flow over the lower side of the valve stem, accumulating on the upper surfaces of the exhaust port and valve seat.
Medical and Pathological Information
According to the Office of the State Medical Examiner in Pearl, Mississippi, the cause of the pilot's death was multiple blunt trauma. The medical examiner reported evidence of medical interventions. No evidence of significant natural disease was found. Toxicology testing performed at the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory on the pilot’s blood and urine revealed ketamine and norketamine (its metabolite). Medical records from the helicopter air ambulance service indicated that ketamine was administered to the pilot for pain management while en route to the hospital.