ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 34839
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| Date: | Tuesday 22 February 1994 |
| Time: | 20:09 |
| Type: |  Piper PA-28-161 |
| Owner/operator: | Gulfcoast Aircraft Sales |
| Registration: | N44899 |
| MSN: | 28-7816043 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 6177 hours |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Inverness, FL -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, GA (SAV) |
| Tampa International Airport, FL (TPA) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On February 22, 1994, about 2009 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28-161, N44899, registered to Gulfcoast Aircraft Sales, operating as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, crashed in the vicinity of Inverness, Florida, while maneuvering in a descent. The airplane was destroyed. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed and a VFR flight plan was filed. The noninstrument- rated private pilot was fatally injured. The flight originated from Savannah, Georgia, about 2 hours 20 minutes before the accident.
THE NONINSTRUMENT-RATED PRIVATE PILOT WAS ON A NIGHT CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT AT 8,500 FEET AGL FLIGHT FOLLOWING WITH JACKSONVILLE CENTER. THE PILOT REQUESTED TO DESCEND TO 4,500 FEET. THE REQUEST WAS APPROVED, AND THE PILOT WAS INSTRUCTED TO MAINTAIN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. THE PILOT DESCENDED THROUGH HIS ASSIGNED ALTITUDE. ATTEMPTS TO ESTABLISH RADIO CONTACT WITH THE PILOT WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. A WITNESS OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE DESCEND THROUGH THE CLOUDS, AND MAKE A HARD RIGHT TURN ESTIMATED AT ABOUT 45 DEGREEES WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING BEFORE THE AIRPLANE DISAPPEARED FROM VIEW. AN INCREASE IN ENGINE RPM WAS HEARD FOLLOWED BY AN IMPACT, AND SUBSEQUENT TOTAL SILENCE.
Probable Cause: The pilot-in-command's lack of total experience in instrument flight, simulated instrument flight, and night flight resulting in the pilot becoming spatially disoriented, and subsequent in-flight collision with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the dark night with no visible horizon.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20001206X00795
Images:
Photo: NTSB
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 12-Oct-2022 02:45 | Captain Adam | Updated [Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative, Category, Accident report, Photo] |
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