Cessna 172N accident near Foley, MN
On March 16, 2003, a Cessna 172N (airplane) was involved in an accident near Foley, MN. 3 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- March 16, 2003
- Place
- Foley, MN
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · Airplane
- Injuries
- 3 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 45.623°N, 93.907°W
- NTSB ID
- 20030320X00363
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On March 16, 2003, at 1601 central standard time, a Cessna 172N, N5315D, piloted by a private pilot, was destroyed when it impacted the ground near Foley, Minnesota. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was on a visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan. The pilot and his two passengers were fatally injured. The airplane departed from the Richard I. Bong Airport, Superior, Wisconsin, and was en route to the St. Cloud Regional Airport (STC), St. Cloud, Minnesota. The exact departure time has not been determined. The pilot activated the VFR flight plan in-flight at 1459. A witness reported seeing the airplane flying in the area prior to the accident. He said that his attention was drawn to the airplane because the engine was "loud." He stated that the airplane was trailing white smoke. He stated that he did not see the airplane for about 1 to 2 minutes and then saw the airplane impact the terrain. He also reported that the weather was cloudy. Another person who was at the scene when the accident happened reported that the weather condition was cloudy and drizzly. She reported that she did not actually witness the impact. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The pilot held a private pilot certificate with a rating for single-engine land airplanes. The certificate was issued on December 27, 2002. A review of pilot's application for his second-class medical certificate and student pilot certificate was conducted. That application, dated September 10, 2001, listed no previously existing medical conditions in the medical history section of the application. The pilot was issued a seco
Probable cause
The pilot's continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions which led to spatial disorientation and subsequent impact with the ground. Contributing factors was the pilot's lack of instrument rating, the pilot's disregard of the preflight briefing and his failure to follow in-flight weather advisories and a low ceiling.
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Browse: Minnesota · 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.
