Galt, MO, USA
N8080G
CESSNA 177RG
The instrument-rated pilot completed one leg of a cross-country flight and landed with ¼ inch of structural icing on the airplane. After placing the airplane in a hanger to deice, the pilot elected to depart into similar weather conditions as when he arrived, which consisted of low cloud ceilings and forecast icing in the clouds. Before departing, the pilot told a witness he intended to fly north then west because “the weather was better to the north.” The witness attempted to dissuade the pilot from departing, but the pilot elected to takeoff anyway. No evidence was found that the pilot obtained a weather briefing or used his Foreflight account to check enroute weather conditions, but he did show a witness a weather map on his phone prior to departing. The pilot departed and flew north-northwest about 70 miles before turning to the west-southwest until the data ended near the accident site. The airplane attained a maximum altitude of 1,900 ft mean sea level (msl) before it began a gradual descent until the data ended at 1,200 ft msl. Terrain along the route of flight varied between about 750 ft and 950 ft msl and the elevation at the accident site was about 785 ft msl. The pilot was not in contact with air traffic control during the flight. The airplane impacted a wooded area about 1.8 miles west of the last recorded flight data point. The initial impact occurred with trees about 30 ft above the ground. The airplane was accounted for in its entirety at the accident site. Damage and dispersion of the wreckage prevented determination of the airplane’s attitude at the time of impact. The wreckage was examined, and no pre-impact anomalies were noted that would have prevented normal operation of the airplane. Although there was no record of the pilot checking weather for the flight, his decision to fly north before turning west suggests that he likely checked weather from an undiscovered source. The airplane’s flight track is consistent with the pilot attempting to remain below the clouds, and it is likely that the airplane’s gradual descent corresponded to lowering cloud bases as the flight progressed.
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn February 8, 2021, about 1442 central standard time, a Cessna 177RG airplane, N8080G, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Galt, Missouri. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal flight. Based on information garnered from FlightAware, the flight departed Saint Louis Downtown Airport (CPS), Saint Louis, Missouri, at 1051 and arrived at Omar N. Bradley Airport (MBY), Moberly, Missouri, at 1157. Witnesses at MBY observed the airplane after landing and said the airplane windscreen was completely obscured by ice and there was significant ice accumulated on the rest of the airplane that was about ¼ inch thick. The pilot requested assistance deicing the airplane and the witnesses helped put the airplane in a heated hangar to melt the ice. They also added 16.88 gallons of fuel to the airplane. The pilot told one of the witnesses he would depart as soon as the airplane was deiced. The pilot dismissed witness recommendations to stay the night at MBY and departed after the weather improved. The pilot said he would fly north before turning west and that the weather was better to the north. He showed one witness a weather map on his cell phone, but the source of the weather map was not determined. Neither witness knew the pilot’s exact destination, just that he planned to spend the night in Nebraska before he continued to Colorado. There was no record of communication between the pilot and air traffic control, and the pilot did not file a flight plan. Automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) information, as well as data from an onboard avionics unit showed that the accident flight originated from MBY about 1410. The airplane continued north about 30 miles, turned northwest for about 40 miles, and then flew west-southwest until the ADS-B data ended at 1440, about 6 miles northeast of the accident site (see figure 1). The ADS-B recorded altitudes began at 1,100 ft mean sea level (msl) and the airplane reached a maximum altitude of 1,900 ft msl before it began a gradual descent that continued until the data ended at 1,200 ft msl. Terrain along the route of flight varied between about 750 ft and 950 ft msl. The elevation at the accident site was about 785 ft msl. Figure 1 – ADS-B Flight Track PERSONNEL INFORMATIONNo pilot logbooks were discovered during the investigation. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATIONInstrument flight rules (IFR) conditions prevailed along the route of flight, with overcast clouds and visibility restricted in snow, mist, and haze. The National Weather Service (NWS) AWC Current Icing Products (CIP) indicated an icing probability ranging from 45% to 65% at 1400 and increasing to over 65% at 1500, with the icing severity from light-to-moderate intensity at 1,000 to 2,000 ft above ground level. The NWS Graphic Forecast for Aviation (GFA) issued at 1301 and valid for 1500 expected surface wind from the north-northeast at 5 to 10 knots over the accident site, with visibility restricted less than 3 miles in light freezing drizzle and snow over the route of flight. The central section of the GFA Cloud Cover product issued at 1302 and valid for 1500 depicted an extensive area of overcast clouds with bases at 1,700 ft msl and tops above 31,000 ft msl. There were no records to indicate that the pilot obtained a weather briefing before the flight. The 1355 recorded observation at MBY included wind from 030° at 9 knots, 1 3/4 statute miles visibility, scattered clouds at 600 ft agl, broken ceiling at 1,500 ft agl, overcast at 2,700 ft agl, temperature -12°C, dew point -16°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.20 inches of mercury. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATIONThe wreckage was located in a wooded area about 6 miles west of the last recorded ADS-B point. The initial impact occurred with trees about 30 ft above the ground. The airplane was accounted for in its entirety at the accident site. Both wings and portions of the horizontal stabilizer were separated at impact and located near the initial impact point. The engine, fuselage, and vertical stabilizer were collocated about 200 ft south of the initial impact point. Damage and dispersion of the wreckage prevented determination of the airplane’s attitude at the time of impact. Flight control continuity to the ailerons could not be verified due to impact damage. Multiple separations were noted in the aileron control cables consistent with overload. Flight control continuity was verified to the rudder and to the elevator attach points. Postaccident examination revealed no anomalies with the engine that would have prevented the normal production of power. A JPI engine data module (EDM) 700/800 was recovered and downloaded by the National Transportation Safety Board recorders laboratory. No anomalies were noted in the engine data associated with the accident flight.
The pilot’s decision to takeoff into instrument meteorological conditions consisting of low ceilings and icing and his failure to remain clear of terrain while attempting to remain below the clouds, which resulted in impact with terrain.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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