Cessna 150K accident near Shelby Gap, KY
On September 2, 2006, a Cessna 150K (airplane) was involved in an accident near Shelby Gap, KY. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- September 2, 2006
- Place
- Shelby Gap, KY
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150K · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 37.228°N, 82.583°W
- NTSB ID
- 20060912X01330
NTSB summary
On September 2, 2006, about 1015 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 150K, N6401G, was destroyed during a collision with mountainous terrain and subsequent postcrash fire, while maneuvering near Shelby Gap, Kentucky. The certificated, non-instrument rated, private pilot was fatally injured. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight that departed a private airstrip in Brasstown, North Carolina; destined for Big Sandy Regional Airport (K22), Prestonsburg, Kentucky. No flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. A witness was hunting near the accident site, and heard a small airplane overhead. The witness stated that he could not see the airplane due to fog, but heard the airplane circle back. He then heard the sound of trees breaking, followed by the sound of impact. The witness further stated that he heard the engine running until the sound of impact. Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions. The FAA inspector stated that the aircraft and pilot logbooks were not recovered. There was also no record of the pilot receiving a weather briefing from Flight Service. An autopsy was performed by the Pike County Coroner's Office, Pikeville, Kentucky. Toxicological testing was conducted on the pilot at the FAA Toxicology Accident Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Review of the toxicology report revealed: "...1.012 (ug/ml, ug/g) PROPOXYPHENE detected in Liver 1.782 (ug/ml, ug/g) PROPOXYPHENE detected in Lung 0.739 (ug/mL, ug/g) NORPRO
Probable cause
The pilot's improper decision to attempt a visual flight rules flight in instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in an impact with mountainous terrain. A factor was the low ceiling.
More accidents in KY
- Bombardier, Inc. CRJ-100, Aug 27, 2006
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- Piper PA-32R-301T, Apr 3, 1988
- Piper PA-32R-301, Mar 22, 2004
Browse: Kentucky · 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.
