Accident Details
On April 18, 2023, at 1820 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172N, registration N734GB, was destroyed when it crashed near London, Ohio. The flight instructor and student pilot were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight.
According to the airport manager, the flight instructor had recently rented three hangars and was building a flight school. He had moved to Ohio and brought the accident airplane with him, intending to bring two more aircraft. The airport manager believed the accident flight was the student pilot's first flight.
Flight Path
ADS-B data showed the airplane decelerating during final approach to runway 27 at Madison County Airport (UYF), London, Ohio. At about 500 ft from the runway, calculated groundspeed was 54 knots, equating to about 70 knots airspeed when accounting for headwind. At about 150 ft from the runway, groundspeed was 46 knots, or about 62 knots airspeed. According to the pilot operating handbook for the make and model, stall speed with full flaps extended was 44 knots.
Wreckage Examination
The wreckage was located inverted about 1 ft from the end of runway 27, on a magnetic heading of 270°. Damage indicated impact in a left-wing-low, nose-down, near-vertical attitude. Impact damage was concentrated on the forward portion of the airframe. The engine and propeller were compressed aft and up into the fuselage. The instrument panel was fractured and contained no useful information. Lap seat belts were intact, but webbing on both shoulder harnesses had come unstitched. The propeller spinner was crushed flat. The carburetor was fractured off and found 5 ft in front of the wreckage. The nose landing gear was partially attached. The left wing sustained tapering compression damage near the tip, and the left wing tip was separated. All flight control surfaces remained attached; control cable continuity was established. The elevator trim tab actuator extended 1.4 inches (about 5° tab up, nose down). The left flap was in a mid-travel position; the right flap was extended about 40°. The flap actuator jackscrew measured about 5.5 inches, equating to flaps extended 40°.
Engine Examination
The two-blade metal propeller remained attached to the crankshaft flange via three of six bolts. The nose cone was compressed around the propeller hub. One blade was bent aft about midway with rotational scoring; the second blade remained mostly straight. The engine rotated when force was applied to the crankshaft flange. Thumb compression was established on all four cylinders, and valve lift action was observed. Both magnetos produced spark at all leads. Spark plugs were undamaged with normal coloration. Continuity from crankshaft to camshaft was established.
Toxicology
The FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory performed toxicological testing on both occupants. No drugs were detected in the flight instructor. The student pilot tested positive for venlafaxine, a medication used for depression, anxiety, and other conditions. Venlafaxine commonly carries warnings against driving or operating heavy machinery due to potential drowsiness. The FAA considers venlafaxine unacceptable for pilot medical certification.
Additional Information
The flight instructor's logbooks were not recovered. According to FAA data, the flight instructor received his certification on October 13, 1998.