Cessna 172P accident near Pembroke, VA
On September 4, 1993, a Cessna 172P (airplane) was involved in an accident near Pembroke, VA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- September 4, 1993
- Place
- Pembroke, VA
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 3 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 37.321°N, 80.630°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001211X13332
NTSB summary
On Saturday, September 4, 1993, at 1240 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172P, N50927, operated by Air Chesterfield Inc., located in Chesterfield, Virginia, and piloted by William Rosbe of Richmond, Virginia, collided with sloping terrain near Smith Mountain Lake Resort, Pembroke, Virginia. The pilot and two passengers received serious injuries. One passenger, seated in the rear left seat, was fatally injured. The airplane was destroyed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The local personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The pilot reported that he was flying the airplane over mountainous terrain towards the Smith Mountain Lake Resort at about 3,000 feet mean sea level. The pilot wrote on his accident report form, "About half way up the mountain, traveling at about 80 knots, I concluded that the engine was not developing enough power so that we could safely climb over the top. I slowed the aircraft to 60 knots and turned it in a 30-degree turn to the left to proceed back down the mountain. Within a very short time-probably less than 30 seconds-and about 90 degrees through the turn we struck trees, and the aircraft fell to the ground...." During a phone interview with the pilot, the pilot stated that there were no airframe or engine anomalies noted prior to the collision with the tree. A witness, located at her home near the accident site, stated that she saw the airplane prior to the accident. She stated, "I heard the plane heading up towards the lake. I thought he was very low, less than 500 feet above the trees. He went behin
Probable cause
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALTITUDE WHILE MANUEVERING IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.
More accidents in VA
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Browse: Virginia · Cessna aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
