ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 36569
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| Date: | Sunday 27 October 1996 |
| Time: | 18:37 |
| Type: |  Piper PA-44-180 Seminole |
| Owner/operator: | private |
| Registration: | N2157P |
| MSN: | 44-7995234 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 7198 hours |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Indio Hills, CA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Unknown |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Goodyear, AZ (GYR) |
| Long Beach, CA (LGB) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot was flight following with ATC when controllers noticed that the aircraft began an unannounced turn and subsequent rapid descent. Radar data showed the aircraft entering a decreasing radius turn with an increasing rate of descent until radar coverage was lost. Clouds near the accident site ranged from broken to overcast with possible icing conditions at the cruising altitude. The wings, horizontal stabilizer, and vertical stabilizer separated during the descent. An examination of the fractures found no evidence of preexisting cracking or damage. Witnesses near the crash site reported the night was very dark. The pilot had been instrument rated for several years, but there was no evidence that he was maintaining currency. The coroner reported finding clinical evidence of diabetes mellitus, a disqualifying medical condition. CAUSE: the pilot's spatial disorientation which led to a loss of aircraft control, and exceeding the aircraft's structural design limits after the aircraft had entered a descending spiral. The pilot's lack of instrument flight currency and the dark night were factors in the accident.
Sources:
NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20001208X06911
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:23 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 17-Nov-2022 16:00 | Ron Averes | Updated [Aircraft type] |
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