Totaled in '82

[Radar Contact]

I went in my dad's basement the other day and saw this picture on the wall...


He's owned a few flying machines over the years but I thought he had told me before that this particular one was lost somehow. I asked the story and he told me about his partner and the bad decision he made 34 years ago. So I looked it up and this is what the NTSB had (skip this section if you want, it's long and basically continued flight of a VFR pilot into IMC, decided to put it on a road, botched the landing and substantially damaged the plane):

Analysis
WHILE ENROUTE, THE PILOT ENCOUNTERED AN AREA WITH RESTRICTED
VISIBILITY AND WITH AN ESTIMATED CEILING OF 300 FT. AFTER REVERSING
COURSE, HE SAW A FOREST ROAD AND ELECTED TO LAND. HE REPORTED THAT
DURING THE LANDING ROLL, A GUST OF WIND WAS ENCOUNTERED CAUSING THE
PLANE TO DRIFT RIGHT AND GO INTO A DRAINAGE DITCH. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE
NOSE AND RIGHT MAIN GEAR FAILED, AND OTHER DAMAGE OCCURRED AS THE
PLANE TRAVELED BACKWARD TO A STOP. AT THE ACCIDENT SITE, THE PILOT
ESTIMATED A CEILING OF 500 FT AND THE WIND GUSTING TO 15 KNOTS.

Findings
Occurrence #1: IN FLIGHT ENCOUNTER WITH WEATHER
Phase of Operation: CRUISE - NORMAL
Findings
1. (F) WEATHER CONDITION - LOW CEILING
2. (F) WEATHER CONDITION - FOG
3. (C) FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER - CONTINUED - PILOT IN COMMAND
----------
Occurrence #2: LOSS OF CONTROL - ON GROUND/WATER
Phase of Operation: LANDING - ROLL
Findings
4. PRECAUTIONARY LANDING - PERFORMED - PILOT IN COMMAND
5. (F) WEATHER CONDITION - GUSTS
6. (C) DIRECTIONAL CONTROL - NOT MAINTAINED - PILOT IN COMMAND
7. GROUND LOOP/SWERVE - INADVERTENT - PILOT IN COMMAND
----------
Occurrence #3: ON GROUND/WATER ENCOUNTER WITH TERRAIN/WATER
Phase of Operation: LANDING - ROLL
Findings
8. TERRAIN CONDITION - DITCH
----------
Occurrence #4: COMPLETE GEAR COLLAPSED
Phase of Operation: LANDING - ROLL
Findings
9. LANDING GEAR,MAIN GEAR - OVERLOAD
10. LANDING GEAR,NOSE GEAR - OVERLOAD
____________________________________________________________________________________

My dad said the insurance company declared the plane a total loss and cut a check for the plane. I was bored and looked up the N number. Saw a C172 registered under the N number but figured given that N numbers are reusable and there are a ton of 172's it was probably a different plane. Then I pulled up a picture attributed to that aircraft registered in Minnesota:



There she is, same exact paint scheme and model! Guess someone fixed her up. I learned something new as I didn't realize a totaled airplane could retain an airworthiness certificate.

 

[Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe]

"Total" just means that the insurance company elected to pay off the policy and auction off the remains. The NTSB shows the damage as "substantial" in this particular case.

I've flown in a previously "destroyed" (per NTSB) aircraft...

 

[Fearless Tower]

"Total" just means that the insurance company elected to pay off the policy and auction off the remains. The NTSB shows the damage as "substantial" in this particular case.

I've flown in a previously "destroyed" (per NTSB) aircraft...

Exactly. If the cost to repair is greater than the insured value, the insurance company cuts a check and then actions the airplane off as salvage.

Sometimes the damage is so bad, but the airplane is rare and the buyer takes the data plate and a few parts and rebuilds the complete airplane. Other times, the damage is merely cosmetic, and the buyer gets a smoking deal.

I once flew a Cherokee that had been written off for hail damage, but the airplane was actually on pretty decent shape. The hat particularly airplane had been written off as salvage twice in its lifetime.

 

[mscard88]

I had a student who bought a rebuilt Maule from the factory that had been totaled by the original owner. The only thing original was the data plate. It was really a new Maule with a good discount and he got a good deal on it. Of course he ground looped it a couple times, engine quit cause he drained a tank and couldn't figure out how to switch to another tank (w/wife & kids on board), and hit tree tops. Guess he sold it and then bought a Skybolt and put it in the trees once or twice I heard. BTW I ceased being his CFI during his Maule checkout after around 14 hours of training him in it. He was a mess.

 

[Unit74]

Mena Aircraft Painting was about to spray a very nice looking Cessna tail dragger last Aug. talking to the shop Forman, he said the plane was completely destroyed and rebuilt from the data plate. Very few original parts were used.

 

[Zeldman]

I used to fly a C-182 that earlier in its life it had one wing torn off during an attempted landing on a dirt road through trees. During the first annual since the accident, 3 bucking bars were found in the right wing according to the maintenance log.

Actually it flew really nice. One of the few planes I have been in that would trim out and fly hands off.