Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Inverness, Florida 34450
Tuesady, February 22, 1994 20:09 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of 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.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
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.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 2/22/1994 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 2009 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | INVERNESS |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 34450 |
| Event Date Year | 1994 |
| Event Date Month | 2 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1950 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 210 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | TPA |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 27 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 29 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 4500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 15 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 22 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 19 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 292 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Feb 22 1994 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2100 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 6 2000 10:41AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N44899 |
| NTSB Number | MIA94FA078 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28-161 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-28-161 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 7816043 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2325 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 6 1993 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 89 |
| Airframe Hours | 6177 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | GULFCOAST AIRCRAFT SALES |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. BOX 418 |
| Aircraft Owner City | TAMPA |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 33601 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | SAV |
| Departure City | SAVANNAH |
| Departure State | GA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1800 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | TPA |
| Destination City | TAMPA |
| Destination State | FL |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Descent |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |