ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 38261
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| Date: | Wednesday 26 April 2000 |
| Time: | 21:55 |
| Type: |  Cessna 177RG Cardinal RG |
| Owner/operator: | Priority Air Inc |
| Registration: | N1978Q |
| MSN: | 177RG0378 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 3513 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming IO-360-A1B6D |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Watertown, SD -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Ferry/positioning |
| Departure airport: | Joe Foss Airport, SD (KFSD) |
| Watertown Regional Airport, SD (KATY) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On April 26, 2000, at 2155 central daylight time, a Cessna 177RG, N1978Q, operated by Priority Air, Inc., was destroyed when it impacted the water in a slough located approximately 7.75 nautical miles south of the Watertown Municipal Airport (ATY), Watertown, South Dakota. The airplane was found in about 3 feet of water and 20 feet from the shoreline of the slough. The bearing to the airport was about 353 degrees. The commercial pilot received fatal injuries. The 14 CFR Part 91 positioning flight had departed the Joe Foss Airport (FSD), Sioux Falls, South Dakota, at 2119 and was en route to ATY where the airplane was based. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at ATY. The airplane was on an IFR flight plan.
The airplane impacted the water in about a 60 degree nose down attitude. The flight occurred during marginal VFR weather at night. The pilot had made an unscheduled landing and obtained a weather brief and filed an IFR flight plan. VFR flight was not recommended. About 30 minutes prior to the accident, ATC instructed the pilot to descend at pilot's discretion to 4,000 feet and report the airport in sight for a visual approach. The pilot acknowledged the instructions and descended to 4,000 feet. The pilot made no further transmissions. Radar contact was lost about 11 nautical miles south of the airport at 3,800 feet msl. The pilot had a total of about 12 hours of actual instrument time and a total of about 50 hours of night time. At 2153, the weather was: Winds 200 at 8 knots, 10 miles visibility, light rain showers, few clouds at 1,000 feet, broken at 1,800 feet, overcast at 6,000 feet, temperature 52 degrees F, dew point 50 degrees F, altimeter 29.95. The wreckage path covered a distance of approximately 310 feet, oriented to the north, and in two to three feet of water. The inspection of the airplane revealed no pre-existing anomalies.
Probable Cause: The pilot failed to maintain aircraft control due to spatial disorientation. Factors relating to the accident were the dark night, clouds, and rain.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20001212X20770&key=1
Images:
Photos: NTSB
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] |
| 12-Dec-2017 18:34 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Operator, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 12-Nov-2022 22:08 | Captain Adam | Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative, Accident report, Photo] |
| 12-Nov-2022 22:09 | Captain Adam | Updated [Photo] |
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