Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Ocala, Florida 32678
Wednesday, December 2, 1992 12:05 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

STUDENT PILOT RECEIVED AN IN-PERSON WEATHER BRIEFING AT THE FAA FSS AT 0919 FOR A VFR CROSS COUNTRY-FLIGHT TO AN ARPT 70 MILES NORTH OF HIS DEPARTURE POINT. VFR CONDITIONS WERE FORECAST ALONG THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT. AT 1014, THE STUDENT'S FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR FILED A VFR FLIGHT PLAN BUT DID NOT REQUEST UPDATED WEATHER INFORMATION. AT 1117, THE STUDENT DEPARTED. AT ABOUT 1200, THE STUDENT WAS OBSERVED TO MAKE A TOUCH-AND-GO AT THE DEST ARPT AND DEPART TO THE SOUTH. AFTER THIS, SEVERAL WITNESSES OVERHEARD AN UNIDENTIFIED ACFT TALKING ON THE DEST ARPT UNICOM FREQUENCY TO A PILOT WHO WAS LOST IN RAIN SHOWERS. THE LOST PILOT HAD A FOREIGN ACCENT AS DID THE STUDENT IN N5324M. AT 1500, THE WRECKAGE OF N5324M WAS LOCATED NEAR OCALA, FLORIDA, 7 NAUTICAL MILES NORTHEAST OF THE DESTINATION AIRPORT. THE ACFT'S HOBBS METER INDICATED THE ACFT HAD FLOWN 1 HOUR SINCE DEPARTURE. THE WEATHER AT OCALA AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS IN RAIN SHOWERS, LOW CEILINGS AND VISIBILITY. EXAMINATION OF THE ACFT AFTER THE ACCIDENT REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE ACFT STRUCTURE, FLIGHT CONTROLS, OR ENGINE. AFTER THE STUDENT RECEIVED HIS WEATHER BRIEFING AT 0915, AN AREA OF UNFORECAST SHOWERS DEVELOPED TO THE NORTH OF HIS DEST ARPT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND BECOMING LOST AND DISORIENTED AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 12/2/1992
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 1205
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City OCALA
Event State FLORIDA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 32678
Event Date Year 1992
Event Date Month 12
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 Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1214 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 50
Weather Observation Facility ID OCF
Elevation of weather observation facility 90
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 3
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 200
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 3
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 11
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 8
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 350
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 11
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 100
Intensity of Precipitation Heavy
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) 879
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Dec 2 1992 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1555
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 50086
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 3:30PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N5324M
NTSB Number MIA93FA025
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 CESSNA
Aircraft Model 152
Aircraft Series Identifier 152
Aircraft Serial Number 15284533
Certified Max Gross Weight 1670
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 2
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Oct 16 1992 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 68
Airframe Hours 6806
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name DELTA AIRCRAFT CORPORATION
Aircraft Owner Street Address ST. PETE. CLEARWATER AIRPORT
Aircraft Owner City CLEARWATER
Aircraft Owner State FL
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 34622
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name DELTA AIRCRAFT CORPORATION
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address ST. PETE. CLEARWATER AIRPORT
Operator City CLEARWATER
Operator State FL
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 34622
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) Instructional
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code PIE
Departure City CLEARWATER
Departure State FL
Departure Country
Departure Time 1117
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code X35
Destination City DUNNELLON
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 10:35AM
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 --