Help finding info from an old GA crash...

Hobobiker

Hobobiker

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Hobo
Okay, sounds odd I know, but my dad crashed with some friends in a GA aircraft sometime in the very early 70's. He was sitting right seat but was only a passenger. I can't find the old newspaper article we used to have, and most involved (including my dad) aren't around anymore to ask the details. As a student pilot I would love to find out as much as I can about the accident. All I know is that everyone survived, I visited my dad in the hospital when I was very young, and that it was likely a Cessna. I'm told they took off from Mishawaka Pilot's Club (3C1), but I'm not finding anything in the NTSB databases and would love to know the 'cause'. Sounds to me like the VFR pilot ran into some clouds/fog/rain/something and down they went. Going to try the newspaper that covered the story as well.

Just thought I'd throw it out to see if anyone more experienced could help me navigate through the archives...
 
May have found it. Sorry it didn't paste well.

But a student with passengers??? Maybe things were different back then...



NTSB Identification: CHI72FET18
14 CFR Part 91 General Aviation
Aircraft: CESSNA 172, registration: N5632A
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FILE DATE LOCATION AIRCRAFT DATA INJURIES FLIGHT PILOT DATA
F S M/N PURPOSE
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3-1382 72/3/12 ELKHART,IND CESSNA 172 CR- 0 1 0 NONCOMMERCIAL STUDENT, AGE 42, 38 TOTAL
TIME - 0845 N5632A PX- 0 2 1 PLEASURE/PERSONAL TRANSP HOURS, ALL IN TYPE, NOT
DAMAGE-DESTROYED OT- 0 0 0 INSTRUMENT RATED.
NAME OF AIRPORT - MISHAWAKA PILOTS
DEPARTURE POINT INTENDED DESTINATION
ELKHART,IND LOCAL
TYPE OF ACCIDENT PHASE OF OPERATION
COLLISION WITH GROUND/WATER: UNCONTROLLED IN FLIGHT: UNCONTROLLED DESCENT
PROBABLE CAUSE(S)
PILOT IN COMMAND - INITIATED FLIGHT IN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS
PILOT IN COMMAND - SPATIAL DISORIENTATION
WEATHER - FOG
WEATHER BRIEFING - NO RECORD OF BRIEFING RECEIVED
WEATHER FORECAST - UNKNOWN/NOT REPORTED
SKY CONDITION CEILING AT ACCIDENT SITE
PARTIAL OBSCURATION 25000
VISIBILITY AT ACCIDENT SITE PRECIPITATION AT ACCIDENT SITE
2 MILES OR LESS NONE
OBSTRUCTIONS TO VISION AT ACCIDENT SITE TEMPERATURE-F
GROUND FOG 48
WIND VELOCITY-KNOTS TYPE OF WEATHER CONDITIONS
CALM IFR
TYPE OF FLIGHT PLAN
NONE
REMARKS- AFT TKOF PLT LOST SIGHT OF RWY ON DWNWND DUE FOG,DSCNDD,SAW TREES,PULLED UP INTO FOG BANK,LOST CTL
 
We could load up a 172 with a similar group in the same conditions and see if the results change.
 
Do you think they knew he was a student?

Hobobiker said:
Well, I guess that might explain why one of the passengers that got hurt sued the pilot (or Student Pilot, as I just learned...)
Click to expand...
 
wabower said:
Do you think they knew he was a student?
Click to expand...

Not sure Wayne. It was my dad's boss flying the plane, dad was right seat, and two other adult guys in the back. I realize I'm only at around 30 hours now and haven't checked a 172's POH for weight and balance, but I would have to think they were at the upper end of the weight range with four adult males. Fog tells me humidity was high as well. I haven't looked for the temperature yet and the elevation isn't that high, but still.... Just wondering if aircraft performance on a day like that played into the crash along with the fog and spacial disorientation.

Just trying to figure out everything I can about the day my dad went down. It's even more interesting now that I'm a student pilot.
 
The "boss" part of the picture is even more interesting. Hope you learn more, and if so please pass it along.
Hobobiker said:
Not sure Wayne. It was my dad's boss flying the plane, dad was right seat, and two other adult guys in the back. I realize I'm only at around 30 hours now and haven't checked a 172's POH for weight and balance, but I would have to think they were at the upper end of the weight range with four adult males. Fog tells me humidity was high as well. I haven't looked for the temperature yet and the elevation isn't that high, but still.... Just wondering if aircraft performance on a day like that played into the crash along with the fog and spacial disorientation.

Just trying to figure out everything I can about the day my dad went down. It's even more interesting now that I'm a student pilot.
Click to expand...
 
If they were the typical 175# people, gross could be around 6% excessive at near full fuel, but balance was probably fine throughout.
(ie: probably not causative)
 
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You don't need to be looking at weight and balance charts here. The accident report lists a 35 hour student pilot taking off into fog with 2 miles visibility and I see the words "spatial disorientation" mentioned.

Your dad is lucky to have lived through this type of crash.
 
dell30rb said:
Your dad is lucky to have lived through this type of crash.
Click to expand...

I absolutely agree, which is why I wanted to find out the details behind the crash. To my knowledge dad only flew one more time in his life, and that was decades later on a commercial flight to a business meeting that he absolutely couldn't avoid. I'm pretty sure he drank more than a few of his favorite beverages before stepping foot on that jet...
 
Student pilot Into the fog looks like he was going to try and return to the runway when he saw the error of his ways.probably going real slow which probably saved their lives.If you don't do a w&b why worry about anything else.
 
Hobobiker said:
Not sure Wayne. It was my dad's boss flying the plane, dad was right seat, and two other adult guys in the back. I realize I'm only at around 30 hours now and haven't checked a 172's POH for weight and balance, but I would have to think they were at the upper end of the weight range with four adult males. Fog tells me humidity was high as well. I haven't looked for the temperature yet and the elevation isn't that high, but still.... Just wondering if aircraft performance on a day like that played into the crash along with the fog and spacial disorientation.

Just trying to figure out everything I can about the day my dad went down. It's even more interesting now that I'm a student pilot.
Click to expand...

My 172 has 712lbs useful load with full fuel.
 
ScottK said:
My 172 has 712lbs useful load with full fuel.
Click to expand...

Thanks Scott. Then it sounds as if the student pilot / fog / disorientation thing was the main culprit...which is no surprise to even a 30-hour student like me...
 
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