Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Falmouth, Kentucky 41040
Friday, August 7, 1992 21:50 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE AIRPLANE WAS CRUISING AT 16,500 FEET AT NIGHT WHEN RADAR AND RADIO CONTACT WERE LOST. THE PILOT MADE NO DISTRESS RADIO CALLS. RECORDED RADAR DATA SHOWED THE AIRPLANE IN A LEFT DESCENDING TURN. OTHER AIRPLANES WERE DEVIATING AROUND WEATHER IN THE AREA. GROUND WITNESSES HEARD THE AIRPLANE PRIOR TO IMPACT AND REPORTED RAIN. THE PILOT STARTED FLYING LESSONS IN MARCH AND RECEIVED HIS MULTI-ENGINE RATING IN JUNE. HE HAD A TOTAL OF 142 HOURS FLIGHT TIME, WITH 25 HOURS IN THIS MAKE AND MODEL AIRPLANE AND 9 HOURS TOTAL NIGHT TIME. THE PILOT WAS NOT INSTRUMENT RATED.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE IMPROPER DECISION BY THE NON-INSTRUMENT-RATED PILOT TO ATTEMPT VFR FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS RESULTING IN A LOSS OF AIRPLANE CONTROL AND SUBSEQUENT INADVERTENT SPIRAL AND COLLISION WITH THE GROUND. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S LACK OF TOTAL FLIGHT EXPERIENCE; THE PILOT'S LACK OF FLIGHT TIME IN THIS MAKE AND MODEL AIRPLANE; AND HIS OVERCONFIDENCE IN HIS OWN ABILITY.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 8/7/1992
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 2150
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City FALMOUTH
Event State KENTUCKY
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 41040
Event Date Year 1992
Event Date Month 8
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 Full
Investigator's weather source Witness
Time of the weather observation 0
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Unknown
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 0
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) --
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Moderate
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) 565
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Aug 8 1992 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1700
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 47963
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 3:13PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N194S
NTSB Number NYC92FA150
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 340
Aircraft Series Identifier 340
Aircraft Serial Number 3400167
Certified Max Gross Weight 6305
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 6
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Aug 1 1992 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 20
Airframe Hours 2762
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name MARKETPLACE AMERICA, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 10266 RIVER SHORE DR. S.E.
Aircraft Owner City CALDONIA
Aircraft Owner State MI
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name MARKETPLACE AMERICA, INC.
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address 10266 RIVER SHORE DR. S.E.
Operator City CALDONIA
Operator State MI
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 MCN
Departure City MACON
Departure State GA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1931
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code GRR
Destination City GRAND RAPIDS
Destination State MI
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
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 --