THORNTON, TX, USA
N5112K
CESSNA 172N
WEATHER WAS REPORTED AS BEING SEVERE BY LOCAL RESIDENTS WITH INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS, HAIL AND HIGH WINDS. WITHIN .25 MILES OF IMPACT TREES WERE BLOWN DOWN IN VARIOUS DIRECTIONS. HEAVY FOLIAGE WAS ALSO BLOWN OVER IN INCONSISTENT PATTERNS. WITNESSES REPORTED VISIBILITY DOWN TO A FEW HUNDRED METERS IN THE THUNDERSTORMS. THE FLOOD PLANE IN WHICH IMPACT OCCURRED FLOODED AND SUBMERGED THE WRECKAGE. EN ROUTE AND DESTINATION WEATHER WAS FORECAST TO BE VMC, WITH A LARGE CELL OF THUNDERSTORMS NEAR THE PROPOSED ROUTE OF FLIGHT. AT 1048 THE PILOT REPORTED TO ATC THAT HE WAS AT 4,000 FEET, HOWEVER, RADAR SHOWED HIM AT 3,000. SUBSEQUENT ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT THE PILOT WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. LAST RADAR CONTACT WAS DESCENDING THROUGH 2,000 FEET.
THE PILOT'S DECISION TO FLY INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER AND THE WET MICROBURST. A FACTOR WAS HIS DISREGARD FOR THE FORECAST.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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