Accident of the (Last) Week

(Ed: Sorry for the belated posting, fans. The IFR Pilot spent the majority of his Friday, Saturday, and Sunday pursuing his avocation here, here, and here.)

This accident report doesn't have much meat to it. But, then again, it probably doesn't require much to discern the problem.

Actually, that's probably not fair. The report lets us know the initial decision-making error committed by the PIC: flying in IMC without an IFR flight plan. What is not clear is whether this was a case of continued VFR into IMC, or advertent flight in IFR conditions by a non-instrument rated pilot.

At least no one else was on board.

NTSB Identification: CHI06LA005
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, October 09, 2005 in Union City, OH
Aircraft: Cessna 172RG, registration: N6085R
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.
On October 9, 2005, about 1945 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172RG, N6085R, operated by a non-instrument rated private pilot was destroyed when it impacted terrain near Union City, Ohio. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was operating in instrument meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The pilot who was the sole occupant was fatally injured. The flight originated from Battle Creek Michigan at an unconfirmed time and was en route to Lexington, Kentucky.

A global positioning system receiver was used to determine the accident site coordinates as 40-degrees, 18-minutes, 49-seconds north lattitude, 84-degrees, 46-minutes, 40-seconds west longitude at an elevation was 1,085 feet above sea level.

Update: A little Googling revealted some weather data for the day of the accident:

611
NOUS51 KILN 100204
OAVILN

PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION REPORT(AVIATION)
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
1003 PM EDT SUN OCT 9 2005

TO:      FORENSIC SERVICES MANAGER(W/OS23)
     NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
     C/O TELLECOMMUNICATIONS GATEWAY
     SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND 20910
   
INFO:    EASTERN REGION (ATTN:W/ER1X2)

ALPHA:   N6085R

BRAVO:   NEAR UNION CITY DARKE COUNTY OH
     2356Z 10/9/05

CHARLIE: PLANE DEPARTED FROM UNKNOWN
     1 ON BOARD. 1 FATALITY
   
DELTA:

SPECI KDAY 100105Z 01007KT 2 1/2SM BR BKN003 OVC009 11/11 A3002 RMK
AO2 CIG 002V006
METAR KDAY 100056Z 01006KT 2SM BR BKN005 OVC009 11/11 A3004 RMK AO2
TWR VIS 2 1/2 CIG 002V007 SLP173 T01110111
METAR KDAY 092356Z 06005KT 2SM BR OVC006 12/11 A3004 RMK AO2 TWR VIS
2 1/2 CIG 004V011 SLP172 60001 T01170106 10117 20106 53008
SPECI KDAY 092337Z 06006KT 2SM BR BKN006 OVC013 12/11 A3003 RMK AO2
TWR VIS 2 1/2
METAR KDAY 092256Z 04008KT 2 1/2SM BR BKN008 OVC013 12/11 A3002 RMK
AO2 SFC VIS 3 CIG 006V011 SLP166 T01170106

ECHO:

TAFDAY
TAF
KDAY 092333Z 100024 03005KT 2SM BR BKN008 OVC015
 FM1000 05004KT 3SM BR OVC012
 FM1400 04008KT P6SM OVC015
 FM2000 02005KT P6SM VCSH OVC015=

TAF AMD
KDAY 092208Z 092218 36010KT 2SM BR OVC008
 FM1000 05007KT 3SM BR OVC012
 FM1500 05008KT P6SM OVC015=

TAF AMD
KDAY 091959Z 092018 36010KT 2SM BR OVC006
  TEMPO 2022 3SM BR OVC015
 FM2200 03008KT 4SM BR OVC015
 FM1000 05007KT 3SM BR OVC012
 FM1500 05008KT P6SM OVC015

FOXTROT: FORECAST UPPER LEVEL WINDS.
     3000 FEET       6000 FEET       9000 FEET
     110 AT 13 KTS   180 AT 11 KTS   200 AT 28 KTS

GOLF:

OH LE
EXTRM NWRN OH...SCT-BKN025 TOPS 070. 05Z BKN025. OTLK...MVFR CIG.
RMNDR OH LE...OVC015-025 TOPS 080 SCT-BKN CI. OTLK...IFR CIG BR
BECMG AFT 15Z MVFR CIG.
....

AIRMET SIERRA FOR IFR AND MTN OBSCN VALID UNTIL 100800
.
AIRMET IFR...ME NH VT MA CT RI NY LO OH LE PA NJ WV MD DE DC VA
AND CSTL WTRS
FROM 70NW PQI TO 60NE PQI TO 50WSW YSJ TO 140ENE ACK TO 100S HTO
TO 90E ORF TO 20NE ECG TO HMV TO HNN TO CVG TO 40SSE FWA TO YYZ
TO YOW TO YSC TO 70NW PQI
OCNL TO WDSPR CIG BLW 010/VIS BLW 3SM DZ/BR/FG. CONDS CONTG BYD
08Z THRU 14Z.
....

AIRMET TANGO FOR TURB VALID UNTIL 100800
.
NO SGFNT TURB EXP EXC INVOF CNVTV ACT.
....

AIRMET ZULU FOR ICE AND FRZLVL VALID UNTIL 100800
.
NO SGFNT ICE EXP OUTSIDE CNVTV ACT.
.
FRZLVL...140-165 THRUT.
....

CONVECTIVE SIGMET
NONE IN AREA
....

HOTEL:   BRIEFING RECEIVED...UNKNOWN

JEFFREY SITES...SENIOR FORECASTER WFO ILN

With a zero or one degree spread between temperatue and dew point, it's not hard to understand why the ceiling was at 900 feet. Why a non-instrument rated pilot would fly into such conditions nearly defies rational explanation. Condolences to the family and friends of the accident pilot.