ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 44357
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| Date: | Sunday 28 August 2005 |
| Time: | 02:12 |
| Type: |  Seawind 3000 |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N88PS |
| MSN: | 15 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Wrightsville Bh, NC -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Unknown |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Wilmington-New Hanover County International Airport, NC (ILM/KILM) |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The non-instrument-rated private pilot was observed to drink an unknown quantity of one or more alcoholic beverages within 2 hours of the flight that departed about 0208 and crashed 4 minutes later. Radar data showed the flight headed eastbound to the coast, climbed to about 1,200 feet, then crossed over the coastline. Immediately there after, it entered a 360-degree turn to the right and descended rapidly into the ocean. Reported weather conditions at 0153 included ceilings broken at 300 feet, temperature 23 degrees centigrade, and dew point 22 degrees centigrade. Flight control and engine control continuity could not be determined from the available wreckage, however, the size of the recovered pieces was consistent with a high-energy impact with the water. According to FAA advisory circular 60-4A, "Lack of natural horizon or surface reference is common on over-water flights, at night, and especially at night in extremely sparsely populated areas or in low visibility conditions...can provide inaccurate visual information for aligning the aircraft correctly with the actual horizon. The disoriented pilot may place the aircraft in a dangerous attitude." The toxicology report for specimens from the pilot noted ethanol and butalbital (a prescription barbiturate) in muscle and evidence of putrefaction. A glass pipe found on the pilot tested positive for THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the primary active substance in marijuana.
Probable Cause: The pilot's improper preflight decision to attempt night VFR flight into IMC, which resulted in an inflight encounter with weather and the pilot's subsequent loss of control of the airplane due to spatial disorientation.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20050901X01353&key=1
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 28-Oct-2008 00:45 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:24 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 06-Dec-2017 10:51 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 15-Sep-2023 19:12 | harro | Updated [[Destination airport, Source, Narrative]] |
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