SOUR LAKE, TX, USA
N3853V
CESSNA 170
THE ACFT STRUCK TREES AND THE GRND DURING A NIGHT CROSS COUNTRY IN MARGINAL WEATHER. THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PVT PLT STATED THAT HE WAS FLYING IN CRUISE FLT AT 1250' MSL WHEN HE HIT TREES. THE CLOSEST WX STATION RECORDED 1200 OVERCAST WITH 5 MILES VISIBILITY, TEMP 74, DEW PT 70. THE AREA OF THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS SPARSELY POPULATED AND KNOWN TO DEVELOP FOG AND RAGGED CEILINGS DURING SIMILAR CONDITIONS. THE ACDT SITE ELV WAS 15' AND THE TREES WERE 60-100' TALL. PLT RPTD THAT HIS ALTIMETER MALFUNCTIONED, HOWEVER, POST-ACCIDENT EXAMINATION AND TESTING DID NO REVEAL ANY FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION IN THE LOWER ALTITUDES. ALTIMETER WAS LAST CALIBRATED AND TESTED 17 YRS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. THE SURVIVORS WERE LOCATED ABOUT 16 HRS AFTER THE ACCIDENT.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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