Cessna 172I accident near Paris, Arkansas, July 11, 2004
On July 11, 2004 at about 10:30 am local time, a Cessna 172I, registered N46174, was destroyed in an accident near Paris, Arkansas (Paris-Subiaco Municipal Aprt. airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's inadequate preflight preparation, his attempted flight into adverse weather conditions, and his failure to maintain clearance from the trees resulting in the airplane's collision with the trees and subsequent impact with the ground. Factors contributing to the accident were the fog, the low altitude, the pilot's inability to see objects and the terrain, and the trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 11, 2004 · about 10:30 am local time
- Place
- Paris, Arkansas · Paris-Subiaco Municipal Aprt. · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172I · all 172Is on the register
- Registration
- N46174 · no longer on the register · serial 17257089
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A witness who lived next to the airport said he heard the airplane at about 0530, but did not see the airplane. The witness said it was foggy, that you could not see beyond 50 feet. The witness said that the airplane sounded normal - "running like they revved it [the airplane] up for takeoff." He couldn't see because of the fog. He then heard a sound like something hitting a building. The witness said that later he left his house on personal business. When he came back, he drove into the pasture and found the airplane. A weather station 33 nautical miles west of the accident site reported a 300 foot ceiling, surface visibility of 5 statute miles and mist, temperature 72 degrees Fahrenheit (F), dew point 71 degrees F, winds 040 degrees at 4 knots, and altimeter 30.10 inches. A weather station 30 nautical miles east of the accident site reported clear skies, a surface visibility of 6 statute miles and mist, temperature 68 degrees F, dew point 68 degrees F, calm winds, and altimeter 30.12 inches. The weather conditions at the time of the accident for the airport located 1/2 mile east of the accident site, was calm winds and a temperature and dew point of 69 degrees F. A local police officer observed the weather on the airport approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes before the accident. He described it as fog with a visibility of approximately 1/8 of a mile or less. An examination of the airplane's systems revealed no anomalies. The pilot's autopsy report stated, "... The degree of observed heart disease present can cause sudden and unexpected symptoms. There were no findings present, however, which would necessarily indicate that such symptoms did occur. ..." According to the Aeronautical Information Manual, "Somatogravic illusion" is a condition described where, "A rapid acceleration during takeoff can create the illusion of being in a nose up attitude. The disoriented pilot will push the aircraft into a nose low, or dive attitude. A rapid deceleration by a quick reduction of the throttles can have the opposite effect, with the disoriented pilot pulling the aircraft into a nose up or stall attitude." This illusion usually occurs at night or in instrument meteorological conditions.
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: 831 hours in all; 800 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 8, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,797.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 2003; 51.7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 7M6 Paris AR at 10:30 am
- Destination: 7M5 Ozark AR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 03, 2,700 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: from 040° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 300 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 am from FSM, 33 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Other NTSB records under N46174 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.