Cessna 177 accident near Old Fort, NC
On March 14, 2003, a Cessna 177 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Old Fort, NC. 3 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- March 14, 2003
- Place
- Old Fort, NC
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 3 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 35.619°N, 82.255°W
- NTSB ID
- 20030324X00371
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On March 14, 2003, about 1250 eastern standard time, a Cessna 177, N3275T, registered to and operated by the private pilot, collided into mountainous terrain in Old Fort, North Carolina. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed. The pilot and two passengers received fatal injuries, and the airplane was destroyed. The flight departed Asheville Regional Airport, Asheville, North Carolina, at 1233 on March 14, 2003. The flight was en route to Rowan County Airport, Salisbury, North Carolina. A review of audio air traffic control records revealed the pilot contacted an Asheville ground controller about 1224 and stated he intended to fly at 4,500 feet [mean sea level] and he received Alpha, the current Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS) report. The pilot told the ground controller his approximate on-course heading would be due east, "but I want to be sure that I don't get into the clouds going over the mountains." The controller stated, "if you need to deviate around weather or something, just let me or departure know." The pilot acknowledged, and the controller stated, "[ATIS] Alpha is showing that the cloud layer is two-thousand-five-hundred overcast now. It's been lowering a little bit all day." The pilot replied, "Yeah, I was aware of that." At 1233, the flight was cleared for takeoff. Once airborne, the pilot contacted the radar east controller, and the flight was cleared to turn left on course. The pilot stated, "if the clouds come down
Probable cause
The pilot's decision to continue VFR flight into IMC and his failure to maintain terrain clearance which resulted in an in-flight collision with mountainous terrain.
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Browse: North Carolina · 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.
