Cessna 172S accident near Waterloo, AL
On August 1, 2004, a Cessna 172S (airplane) was involved in an accident near Waterloo, AL. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- August 1, 2004
- Place
- Waterloo, AL
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 34.911°N, 88.061°W
- NTSB ID
- 20040809X01168
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On August 1, 2004, about 1621 central daylight time, a Cessna 172S, N970SP, registered to and operated by Douglas Aviation, Inc., collided into the Tennessee River in the vicinity of Waterloo, Alabama. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The private pilot received fatal injuries, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight departed Savannah - Hardin County Airport, Savannah, Tennessee, about 1600 on August 1, 2004. The pilot flew the airplane from its base in Olive Branch, Mississippi, to Savannah, Tennessee, then utilized the Savannah - Hardin County Airport courtesy car to drive to Pickwick Lake to meet an acquaintance at his house for lunch. The acquaintance stated he talked with the pilot "about going for a ride, and other flying stories," and the pilot told him the airplane "wanted to veer to the left." The acquaintance stated the pilot drove back to the airport sometime after 1500, and the pilot told him he would fly the airplane over his house then fly over the river and take the long way home. The acquaintance stated he was outside later and observed an airplane that "flew over and headed to the river." Two witnesses in a boat near the Waterloo bridge, both of whom were certificated flight instructors, observed the airplane flying low. The witnesses stated, "the aircraft appeared to be slow and circling as if searching for a house or perhaps a boat." The witnesses stated they then observed the airplane "flying east to west,
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering at low altitude, which resulted in a stall and subsequent uncontrolled descent and collision into water.
More accidents in AL
- Beech C99, Jul 10, 1991
- Cessna 421A, Jun 22, 1983
- Cessna 421C, Jul 9, 2011
- Piper PA 31, Aug 14, 2016
- Beech 95-B55B, Dec 5, 1992
Browse: Alabama · 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.
