Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Tallahassee, Florida 32310
Friday, January 5, 1990 20:08 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

WHILE ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN IN IMC CONDITIONS, THE PILOT WAS CLEARED FOR AN ILS APPROACH TO RUNWAY 27 AT TALLAHASSEE REGIONAL AIRPORT, TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA. THE PILOT STATED THROUGHOUT THE APPROACH, HE HAD PREPARED HIMSELF MENTALLY TO FLY THE PUBLISHED MISSED APPROACH ABOVE THE PUBLISHED DECISSION HEIGHT. HE FURTHER STATED THE AIRPLANE WAS FLOWN BELOW THE GLIDE PATH AND TO THE RIGHT OF THE FINAL APPROACH COURSE. AT 300 FEET AGL THE PILOT LOOKED OUTSIDE THE AIRPLANE SEARCHING FOR THE RUNWAY ENVIRONMENT. HE SAW LIGHTS AND A YELLOW ROTATING BEACON AND BECAME SPATIALLY DISORIENTED AND FIXATED ON THE ROTATING BEACON. HE DID NOT INCREASE HIS SCANNING OR RETURN HIS VISION BACK INSIDE TO THE AIRPLANE'S FLIGHT INSTRUMENTS AND CRASHED. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED. THE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE SOURCE OF THE ROTATING BEACON WAS NOT DETERMINED.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

PILOT FACTOR IN THAT HE FAILED TO MAINTAIN A/C CONTROL IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS DUE TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION CAUSED BY FIXATION OF AN UNDETERMINED LIGHT SOURCE.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 1/5/1990
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 2008
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City TALLAHASSEE
Event State FLORIDA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 32310
Event Date Year 1990
Event Date Month 1
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 81
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1952 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 90
Weather Observation Facility ID TLH
Elevation of weather observation facility 81
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Not Reported
Lowest Ceiling Height 200
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Partial Obscuration
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 1
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 18
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 18
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 140
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 5
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Light
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Serious
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 2
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 197
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jan 5 1990 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 2200
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 40917
Date of most recent change to record Dec 12 2000 4:44PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N7030Y
NTSB Number MIA90FA050
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 PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-30
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-30
Aircraft Serial Number 30-31
Certified Max Gross Weight 3600
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 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Nov 6 1989 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 10
Airframe Hours 3578
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name CALLEY, NICHOLAS O
Aircraft Owner Street Address COLLEGE OF BUS ADM, ECON DEPT
Aircraft Owner City MOBILE
Aircraft Owner State AL
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 36688
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name CALLEY, NICHOLAS O.
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address COLLEGE OF BUS ADM,ECON DEPT
Operator City MOBILE
Operator State AL
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 36688
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 BKV
Departure City BROOKSVILLE
Departure State FL
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code TLH
Destination City TALLAHASSEE
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 27
Runway Length 8000
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --