Islandic SAR forces are looking for a Cessna 172, TF-ABB, owned by the head of the Islandic AOPA.
The aircraft departed BIRK on Feb03 at 10:30UTC and was expected back at 13:00 UTC but did not return as planned.
SAR operations were started an hour after ETA and are ongoing. The aircraft is said to have had 4 souls on board.
Something very odd: 4pob in C172 with +3h endurance?
Ibra wrote:
Something very odd: 4pob in C172 with +3h endurance?
Why? Of course the empty weight depends on the individual aircraft, but with the “standard” empty weight of a Cessna 172N according the POH being ≈1400 lbs and a MTOM of 2300 lbs, the useful mass is about 410 kg. At 65% power, it has a fuel consumption of about 28 l/h. 3 hours of fuel (60 kg) leaves 350 kg for the occupants or 85-90 kg/person. Even with 4 hours of fuel, you get 80-85 kg/person.
@Airborne_Again those sample POH under report real world empty mass, suggest 1,500lbs empty is more realistic. However 4 pob could include some lighter weight passengers?
We all have taken C172 with 4pob, it’s very tight vis-a-vis weight, diversion, wind & weather !
Even with accurate fuel instrumentation, 3h is very tight (of course it depends on “4pob weight” and VFR/IFR flight rules)
Maybe we should drop the discussion regarding 4 pob. It has no relevance as I see it.
Let us hope that they find the aircraft soon and that someone has survived, even though I understand it is unlikely…
Could have kids on board.
Let’s hope and pray they survive.
Something very odd: 4pob in C172 with +3h endurance? Quote
The suggested duration of the flight was 2 1/2 hours, and even that is probably an over estimation to allow for reserves. When I give an “expected back” time it’s a “by” rather than an “at”, so perhaps the pilot allowed themself some reserve time, and that was lost in translation. I’ve rented a 172 to fly that route with my wife and daughter, 2 1/2 hours is lots of time to see the waterfall and return. I doubt that a sightseeing flight was actually planned to take 2 1/2 hours, as few non aviators want to spend that long in a 172. With the power way back for sightseeing, fuel burn would be less than a normal cross country flight for at least part of their flying. There are forced landing locales in the area, but I wouldn’t describe them as ideal.
I doubt that a sightseeing flight was actually planned to take 2 1/2 hours
That would be my guess as well
Looks they found the aircraft, 4 fatalities confirmed sadly…
Sad outcome, RIP. Still, as this seems to have been a commercial operation a somewhat interesting choice of aircraft for 4 POB. Given they all were of different nationalities I assume they were adults. Guess we’ll never know what happened.
