The Cessna 172 was flying over a camp near Brevard, North Carolina, so that a passenger could drop candy from the airplane.
The pilot told investigators that the airplane was “a couple hundred feet” above the trees in slow flight. The next thing he remembered was waking up in a hospital.
According to one of the passengers, after the candy drop, the airplane flew around the camp so that photographs could be taken. The passenger told investigators that the airplane was descending, so he made a comment to the pilot about getting close to the treetops and needing to apply power and pull up.
The pilot said something similar to “I’m working on it,” according to the passenger.
The passenger recalled that the airplane hit some trees and that he woke up next to the airplane on the ground.
He and the other passenger, as well as the pilot, sustained serious injuries in the crash.
A GoPro video camera found at the accident site was sent to the National Transportation Safety Board’s Vehicle Recorders Division, Washington, D.C., for download. The camera contained multiple short videos and still pictures of the accident flight. The 8-minute 42-second stitch of the accident image sequence showed the airplane maneuvering at a low altitude and high bank angles. The airplane made multiple passes over a clearing in the tree canopy, and the passenger in the right front seat made motions consistent with dropping objects out of the airplane over the clearing. The airplane continued to maneuver at high bank angles and a low altitude until the airplane hit terrain.
Post-accident examination of the airplane revealed that the tail section had partially separated from the fuselage and that the wing had separated from the fuselage, resulting in substantial damage. All instrument panel components had dislodged from their housings and were scattered around the cabin.
Further examination revealed the left wing’s leading edge exhibited a mark about 8 inches in diameter from hitting a tree. Approximately mid span, the leading edge exhibited a tree impact mark that was about 1.5 inches in diameter. About 3 feet, 5 inches from the wing tip of the right wing, the leading edge exhibited a tree impact mark that was about 4 inches in diameter.
Probable Cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain altitude while maneuvering the airplane at a low altitude, which resulted in impact with trees and terrain.
This June 2022 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
