Cessna 172N accident near Fancy Gap, VA
On October 9, 1994, a Cessna 172N (airplane) was involved in an accident near Fancy Gap, VA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- October 9, 1994
- Place
- Fancy Gap, VA
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 36.660°N, 80.700°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001206X02382
NTSB summary
On October 9, 1994, at 1010 eastern daylight time, N734NB, a Cessna 172N, owned and operated by William E. Garris of Winston Salem, North Carolina, crashed while enroute to Winston Salem, North Carolina. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the accident site and a flight plan was not filed. The aircraft was destroyed. The flight was operated under 14 CFR 91 and originated in Bluefield, West Virginia. The flight was destined for Winston Salem, North Carolina. According to an FAA Aviation Safety Inspector, the pilot departed North Carolina the day before to Bluefield to visit his grandparents. The FAA Aviation Safety Inspector stated that the pilot received a weather briefing the morning of the accident at 0742 local time from the Elkins Flight Service Station in West Virginia. The flight departed Bluefield at 0912 local time enroute to its destination. The airplane impacted trees in mountainous terrain during cruise flight about a quarter mile northeast of interstate 77 near Fancy Gap, Virginia. There were no witnesses to the crash; however, a witness who was travelling north on interstate 77 reported that she saw an airplane with the same description as the accident airplane flying low. The witness stated, "It looked like he was following the highway. He had his lights on and was flying really slow. It was real foggy and rainy. We had our headlights on." A hunter who was in the woods near the accident site stated that he heard an airplane flying low earlier that day. He stated that as he was walking in the woods, "...he smelled something burning...." The hunter
Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate inflight planning and his failure to maintain adequate terrain clearance. Other related factors are: fog, rain, VFR flight into IMC, inexperience and 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.
