ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 36588
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| Date: | Thursday 8 March 1990 |
| Time: | 09:48 |
| Type: |  Piper PA-30-160 Twin Comanche |
| Owner/operator: | Wilma Pete & Lowell B. Pete |
| Registration: | N7123Y |
| MSN: | 30-142 |
| Engine model: | LYCOMING IO-320-B |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Tennessee River, near Dayton, Rhea County, Tennessee -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Crossville Memorial Airport (Whitson Field),Crossville, Tennessee (CSV |
| Leesburg International Airport, Leesburg, Flrodia (LEE/KLEE) | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
THE PILOT HAD REPORTED LEVEL AT 11,000 FT. A SHORT TIME LATER, WHEN ATC REQUESTED HIS HEADING, HE RESPONDED THAT HE HAD AN AUTOPILOT MALFUNCTION. ATC ASKED THE PILOT IF HE WANTED VECTORS. THE PILOT RESPONDED 'PLEASE.' THERE WERE NO FURTHER COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE AIRCRAFT.
THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED INTO A RIVER IN A STEEP ANGLE ALMOST DIRECTLY BELOW HIS LAST REPORTED POSITION. THE PILOT WAS IN IMC CONDITIONS, WHILE EN ROUTE TO HAVE AUTOPILOT MAINTENANCE. HE WAS KNOWN TO RELY ON HIS AUTOPILOT DURING IFR FLIGHT.
Probable Cause and Findings: The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
THE PILOT'S INTENTIONAL USE OF AN AUTOPILOT WITH KNOWN DEFICIENCIES. THE PILOT KNOWINGLY RELIED ON THIS AUTOPILOT WHICH MALFUNCTIONED IN FLIGHT AND RESULTED IN HIS BECOMING SPATIALLY DISORIENTATED.
Registration N7123Y cancelled by the FAA on August 16, 1990
Sources:
1. NTSB Identification: ATL90FA074 at https://app.ntsb.gov/pdfgenerator/ReportGeneratorFile.ashx?EventID=20001212X22656&AKey=1&RType=Final&IType=FA
2. FAA: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=7123Y
3. http://planecrashmap.com/plane/tn/N7123Y/
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] |
| 05-Apr-2017 19:20 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 05-Apr-2017 19:23 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Aircraft type] |
| 05-Apr-2017 19:30 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
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