Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Shady Grove Cor, Virginia 22553
Thursday, May 10, 1990 2:50 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PLT WAS ON VFR FLT AT NGT FM MANTEO, NC TO WINCHESTER, VA. HE STARTED THE FLT EARLIER THAN ORIGIN- ALLY PLANNED AFTER LEARNING WX WAS FORECAST TO DETERIORATE. WHEN ACFT DID NOT ARR, SEARCH WAS INITIATED. IT WAS FND ON 5/17/91 IN REMOTE AREA NR SHADY GROVE CORNER, VA. INV REVEALED RGT WING SEPD IN FLT; WING WAS FND ABT 700' EAST OF WHEREACFT IMPACTED GND. MAIN WRECKAGE WAS FND WEST OF IMPACT POINT. METALLURGICAL EXAM SHOWED WING SEPD FM OVERLOAD. RCRDD RADIO INFO REVEALED PLT HAD ENCTRD RAIN. RADAR DATA REVEALED THAT BFR ACDNT, ACFT WAS HDG NE AT 2100' MSL. IT CLIMBED TO2400', TURNED NORTH, DSCNDD TO 2000' & TURNED WEST, THEN DSCNDD TO 1500' BFR RADAR CTC WAS LOST. RADAR CTC ENDED LESS THAN 1 MI FM CRASH SITE. ABT 29 MI ENE AT QUANTICO, 0255 EDT WX WAS IN PART: 1300' BKN, VIS 3 MI IN RAIN & FOG, WND FM 230 DEG AT 12 KTS. EXAM INDCD NO ROTATIONAL DMG OF DRCTNL GYRO OR TURN COORDINATOR GYRO, ONLY SLGT RUBBING OF ATTITUDE GYRO & NO SCORING OF VACUUM PUMP VANES, THOUGH ALL RCVD HVY IMPACT DMG & DIRT WAS PACKED IN VACUUM PUMP PORTS/CAVITY.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

VFR FLIGHT BY THE NON-INSTUMENT RATED PILOT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC), HIS LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL, DUE TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION, AND HIS EXCEEDING THE DESIGN STRESS LIMITS OF THE AIRCRAFT, WHILE RECOVERING FROM AN UNCONTROLLED DESCENT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARK NIGHT, ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, LOSS OF THE VACUUM SYSTEM, AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 5/10/1990
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 250
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City SHADY GROVE COR
Event State VIRGINIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 22553
Event Date Year 1990
Event Date Month 5
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 0
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 255 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 60
Weather Observation Facility ID NYG
Elevation of weather observation facility 12
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 29
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 1300
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
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) 19
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 16
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 230
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 12
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 0
Intensity of Precipitation Light
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 6
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 6
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2019
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date May 17 1990 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1530
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 42810
Date of most recent change to record Dec 12 2000 4:57PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Unknown
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N6481N
NTSB Number BFO90FA045
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 210N
Aircraft Series Identifier 210N
Aircraft Serial Number 63055
Certified Max Gross Weight 3800
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 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Nov 3 1989 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 61
Airframe Hours 3383
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name INABELLE M. WRIGHT
Aircraft Owner Street Address RT. 1 P.O. BOX 18
Aircraft Owner City PURCELLVILLE
Aircraft Owner State VA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 22132
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name PROFESSIONAL PILOT SERVICES
Operator Same as Owner? No
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 MQI
Departure City MANTEO
Departure State NC
Departure Country
Departure Time 1400
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code W16
Destination City WINCHESTER
Destination State VA
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 0
Runway Width 0
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --