Cessna 172N accident near Wellington, Kansas, February 15, 2003
On February 15, 2003 at about 1:55 am local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N5898E, was destroyed in an accident near Wellington, Kansas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Spatial disorientation experienced by the pilot and his subsequent failure to maintain control of the aircraft. Contributing factors were the pilot's failure to obtain an updated preflight weather briefing prior to the return flight, his attempted flight into known adverse weather, the lack of lighting (night) and the low ceilings.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 15, 2003 · about 1:55 am local time
- Place
- Wellington, Kansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N5898E · no longer on the register · serial 17271955
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The aircraft was substantially damaged during an in-flight collision with terrain. The pilot encountered instrument meteorological weather conditions during a visual flight rules (VFR) flight and subsequently lost control of the aircraft. Weather conditions in the vicinity of the accident site were reported as 800 feet above ground level (agl) overcast. The pilot obtained VFR flight following enroute. Approximately 43 miles from his intended destination, the pilot reported to the controller, "I'm going to have to drop down . . . I went into cloud cover here [at] three thousand five hundred feet." The controller then notified the pilot that weather conditions in the vicinity of the intended destination were below VFR weather minimums. The pilot elected to divert to an alternate airport 14 miles east of the aircraft's position. This decision was based on an automated report, current at the time but taken nearly an hour earlier, of clear skies. An automated report for the alternate airport, coincidentally taken at the time of the accident, reported 800 feet agl broken. A pilot conducting practice instrument approaches in the area at the time reported conditions as overcast with tops about 3,000 feet mean sea level (msl). He noted that it was clear above the clouds and somewhat hazy. He recalled that there was "not much of a horizon" visible. A motorist driving on the interstate reported seeing the aircraft three times. On the third occasion he stated the aircraft flew across the roadway, perpendicular to it, descending at approximately a 45 degree angle relative to the horizon. He reported the aircraft was traveling at a "high rate of speed". He recalled thinking the aircraft was approaching to land. The motorist recalled the weather conditions as very windy and gusty, with a low overcast. According to the motorist, the cloud bases were "rugged", but visibility below the clouds was good. The pilot obtained a preflight weather briefing approximately four hours prior to initiating the accident flight, however no record of an update briefing was found. The pilot was a non-instrument rated private pilot. He had logged 35.0 hours of night flight time and 3.6 hours of simulated instrument time. No actual instrument flight time was recorded in his logbook. His most recently logged flight was nearly four months earlier. A post-accident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no anomalies consistent with a pre-impact failure.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 153 hours in all; 149 in this make and model; 0 in the last 90 days; 120 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 6, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,865 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2002; 154 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PWA Oklahoma City OK at 11:45 pm
- Destination: 3AU Augusta KS
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 360° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 800 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.61 inHg
- Observation at 1:54 am from WLD, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.