Cessna 172N accident near Wayne, NE
On January 4, 2016, a Cessna 172N (airplane) was involved in an accident near Wayne, NE. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- January 4, 2016
- Place
- Wayne, NE
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 42.168°N, 96.846°W
- NTSB ID
- 20160104X84134
Official records · CEN16FA073
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- Air Traffic Control Memo: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn January 3, 2016, about 1840 central standard time, a Cessna 172N airplane, N5104D, impacted terrain near Wayne, Nebraska. The airplane sustained substantial damage and the private rated pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the destination airport and the airplane was not on a flight plan. The flight originated from the Columbia Regional Airport (KCOU), Columbia, Missouri about 1540 and was en route to Sioux Gateway Airport/Col. Bud Day Field (SUX), Sioux City, Iowa. The pilot had flown from the McKellar-Sipes Regional Airport (KMKL) Jackson, Tennessee, to KCOU. According to KCOU personnel, the pilot requested the airplane be "topped off" and the airplane was fueled with about 26 gallons of fuel. While there, the pilot contacted Flight Service Station (FSS) via telephone, for a weather briefing. The pilot stated that he wanted to conduct a visual flight rules (VFR) flight from KCOU to KSUX. He indicated that his vehicle and work was there in Sioux City. During the conversation with the briefer, the pilot was informed that the weather at KSUX was instrument flight rules (IFR) conditions and was expected to remain that way. The conversation continued with alternatives, such as flying VFR over the cloud layer, and then descending into the Wayne Municipal Airport (LCG) Wayne, Nebraska, and renting an automobile. The cloud tops en route were reported as 2,500 to 4,500 ft
Probable cause
The noninstrument-rated pilot's improper decision to continue visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in a collision with terrain.
More accidents in NE
- Piper PA-32R-300, Oct 16, 1993
- Piper PA-31, Apr 14, 1986
- Raytheon Aircraft Company 58, Jan 11, 2013
- Cessna 210H, Jan 19, 1986
- Beech C35, Jun 17, 1984
Browse: Nebraska · 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.
