History of Flight
On October 1, 2022, at 2317 central daylight time, a Cessna 172S, registration N262TA, was substantially damaged when it struck electrical transmission wires and a two-story home near Hermantown, Minnesota. The commercial pilot and two passengers sustained fatal injuries; two occupants of the house sustained minor injuries. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
The pilot and passengers had departed South St. Paul Municipal Airport (SGS) earlier that day, around 1015, and flown to Duluth International Airport (DLH) to attend a wedding. Security video showed the pilot conducting a preflight inspection at 2246, with passengers boarding about 2254. At 2305, the pilot contacted air traffic control and received an instrument flight rules (IFR) clearance back to SGS. The controller cleared the pilot direct to SGS at 6,000 ft mean sea level and provided a departure frequency and transponder code. During taxi, the controller advised visibility of about ½ mile and that the pilot might encounter instrument conditions after departure, based on a King Air pilot's report of a 250 ft cloud base.
The pilot held short of runway 09 and was cleared for takeoff with a right turn direct to SGS. Wind was reported from 090° at 14 knots gusting to 18 knots, and runway visual range greater than 6,000 ft. A rear-seat passenger recorded two videos of the takeoff, showing the airplane’s climb through 1,500 ft msl with condensation on interior windows and no abnormal indications. The airplane entered clouds about 19 seconds after the video began. ADS-B data showed departure at 2312, a right turn south, climbing to 1,750 ft msl, then a steep left turn to about 270° while climbing to 2,800 ft msl before beginning to descend. Radar controllers attempted to contact the pilot without response; the pilot briefly responded with “contacting departure two tango alpha” but later did not respond to queries about descending. A low altitude alert was triggered.
Pilot Information
The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with single-engine land and instrument ratings, and a flight instructor certificate with single-engine rating. His logbook recorded 645.9 total flight hours, with 39.9 hours in the accident airplane make and model. Night flight experience totaled 45.1 hours (2.5 in accident type). Actual instrument meteorological conditions experience was 7.6 hours (1.5 in accident type). His most recent actual instrument flight was in July 2021; most recent simulated instrument experience was 2.5 hours in June 2022.
Meteorological Information
At 2255, weather at DLH was wind 080° at 10 knots gusting 19 knots, visibility 5 miles in mist, overcast ceiling 200 ft agl, temperature 9°C, dew point 8°C, altimeter 30.38 inHg. At 2355, conditions were similar: wind 080° at 12 knots, visibility 4 miles in mist, overcast 200 ft. The National Weather Service had forecast low IFR (LIFR) conditions between 1855 and 0155, defined as ceiling/vertical visibility below 500 ft agl and/or visibility less than 1 statute mile.
Wreckage and Impact
The airplane impacted electrical transmission wires and a two-story home. The left wing and landing gear imprint on the house indicated impact in a 40° left bank. The airplane passed through two upstairs bedrooms while occupants were asleep, then exited and came to rest inverted between a vehicle and a detached garage. No post-impact fire occurred. The wreckage path was 175 ft long on a magnetic heading of 205°. All major components were found at the site. The left wing was separated and in the front yard; the empennage was near the garage door. The fuselage, cockpit, and right wing were inverted and wedged. No visible fuel was present, but a strong fuel odor was noted. Control continuity was confirmed through tensile overload breaks. The engine was impact-separated but upright; propeller flange sheared, consistent with rotation at impact. Engine examination revealed no preimpact anomalies: spark plugs had minimal wear, magnetos sparked normally, compression was attained on all cylinders, and internal components appeared lubricated. Gyroscopic instruments showed rotational scoring only on the electrically-powered turn coordinator; vacuum-driven instruments lacked scoring. The vacuum system was unimpaired. Three onboard data units were examined: an Appareo Stratus 2S contained no accident flight data; a Garmin GTN 750 was damaged and its SD cards had no recorded flight data; a DAC GDC31 did not record data. No preimpact mechanical anomalies were found that would have precluded normal operation.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy attributed the pilot’s cause of death to multiple blunt force injuries, classified as accident. No medical conditions hazardous to flight were identified. Toxicological testing of heart blood showed no positive findings; codeine was detected in urine (22 ng/mL) but not in blood, and pseudoephedrine was found in femoral blood and urine.
Additional Information
The night before the accident, the pilot flew a night cross-country flight with a student from about 1900 to 2315. The student recalled the pilot expressing nervousness about the upcoming wedding flight due to lack of confidence in his instrument flying abilities. The pilot lived approximately 30 minutes from SGS; his sleep schedule before the accident morning is unknown. The accident occurred about 13.5 hours after departure from SGS, following an estimated 11.5 hours of wedding and reception activities. The FAA's General Aviation Joint Steering Committee and the Airplane Flying Handbook discuss spatial disorientation risks when visual references are obscured, noting that false sensations can lead pilots to misperceive aircraft attitude.