Cessna 172M accident near Vici, Oklahoma, December 3, 2002
On December 3, 2002 at about 7:45 pm local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N4470R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Vici, Oklahoma. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's departure and continued flight into adverse weather conditions. Contributing factors were the icing conditions, and the lack of suitable terrain for the precautionary landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 3, 2002 · about 7:45 pm local time
- Place
- Vici, Oklahoma · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N4470R · no longer on the register · serial 172-63212
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The non-instrument rated private pilot reported that the flight departed with the weather conditions "light to moderate snow and 5-7 miles visibility." Subsequently, en route the ice accumulated throughout the airframe and he performed an unscheduled landing to remove the ice. After partially removing the ice and checking the weather on the computer, he departed the airport and continued the flight toward the planned destination. Subsequently, in cruise flight, he noted an indicated airspeed of 115 mph, and the flight encountered freezing rain and structural icing, and the indicated airspeed decayed to 80 mph. He decreased the pitch of the airplane to maintain the airspeed at 80 mph and diverted the flight to the nearest airport; however, the airplane was unable to maintain 80 mph, and he elected to perform a precautionary landing to an open field short of the airport. During the landing roll in rough and uneven terrain, the nose gear collapsed, and the airplane nosed-over coming to rest in the inverted position. The nearest weather reporting station, located 30.4 nautical miles east southeast (103 degrees) of the accident site was reporting calm winds, visibility 4 statute miles with freezing rain and haze, few clouds at 1,000 feet, a broken ceiling at 1,500 feet, and overcast at 2,800 feet. The temperature was 28 degrees Fahrenheit, and the dew point was 27 degrees Fahrenheit.
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: 99 hours in all; 44 in this make and model; 47 in the last 90 days; 21 in the last 30 days; 48 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 25, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,772 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 2002; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LBL Liberal KS at 6:00 pm
- Destination: PWA Oklahoma City OK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,500 ft; a few clouds at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.22 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from GAG, 30 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.