Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Accokeek, Maryland 20607
Thursday, March 19, 1992 10:17 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

ON AN ILS APPROACH TO RUNWAY 36, THE AIRPLANE DISAPPEARED OFF RADAR AT 2,500 FT MSL ABOUT 12 NAUTICAL MILES SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT. DURING THE APPROACH, THE AIRPLANE WAS WEST OF THE LOCALIZER AND WAS BEING VECTORED TO INTERCEPT THE LOCALIZER. A COMPLETE LEFT 360 DEGREE TURN WAS MADE AT THE REQUEST OF APPROACH CONTROL (ARR). THE PILOT WAS THEN CLEARED TO THE ILS OUTER MARKER. UPON ARRIVAL TO THE OUTER MARKER THE PILOT WAS TOLD TO CONTACT THE LOCAL CONTROLLER (LC). BEFORE INTERCEPTING THE LOCALIZER, THE AIRPLANE STARTED AN APPROXIMATE 9.5 DEGREE LEFT TURN AWAY FROM THE LOCALIZER. DURING THIS TURN, ARR QUERIED THE PILOT ABOUT THE AIRPLANE'S HEADING. THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. THE LC BROADCASTED TO THE AIRPLANE AND REQUESTED THE PILOT TO SWITCH BACK TO ARR. THE PAX ACKNOWLEDGED THE REQUEST. THERE WERE NO FURTHER TRANSMISSIONS BY THE PILOT OR PAX. THE INVESTIGATION DID NOT DISCLOSE ANY EVIDENCE OF STRUCTURAL, INSTRUMENT, OR ENGINE FAILURE.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT EXPERIENCED SPATIAL DISORIENTATION WHICH RESULTED IN LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 3/19/1992
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 1017
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City ACCOKEEK
Event State MARYLAND
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 20607
Event Date Year 1992
Event Date Month 3
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 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Partial - limited by pilot
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1015 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 360
Weather Observation Facility ID DCA
Elevation of weather observation facility 16
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 12
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 500
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 3500
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 2
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 3
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 3
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 360
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 9
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 0
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 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2959
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 47805
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 2:47PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N65737
NTSB Number BFO92FA044
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 172P
Aircraft Series Identifier 172P
Aircraft Serial Number 17275843
Certified Max Gross Weight 2400
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 Mar 7 1992 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 25
Airframe Hours 3979
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL AVIATION
Aircraft Owner Street Address NEWPORT NEWS/WILLIAMSBURG ARPT
Aircraft Owner City NEWPORT NEWS
Aircraft Owner State VA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 23602
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL AVIATION
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address NEWPORT NEWS/WILLIAMSBURG ARPT
Operator City NEWPORT NEWS
Operator State VA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 23602
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 Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code PHF
Departure City NEWPORT NEWS
Departure State VA
Departure Country
Departure Time 900
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code DCA
Destination City WASHINGTON
Destination State DC
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Approach
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
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 --