Piper PA-28-161 accident near Inverness, FL
On February 23, 1994, a Piper PA-28-161 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Inverness, FL. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- February 23, 1994
- Place
- Inverness, FL
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 28.830°N, 82.271°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001206X00795
Official records · MIA94FA078
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- Transcript of Radio Communications: Transcript (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On February 22, 1994, about 2009 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28-161, N44899, registered to Gulfcoast Aircraft Sales, operating as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, crashed in the vicinity of Inverness, Florida, while maneuvering in a descent. The airplane was destroyed. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed and a VFR flight plan was filed. The noninstrument- rated private pilot was fatally injured. The flight originated from Savannah, Georgia, about 2 hours 20 minutes before the accident. Transcripts of recorded communication between Jacksonville Air Route Traffic Control Center, and N44899 revealed that N44899 requested VFR flight following with Jacksonville Center at 0018:41, 10 miles northeast of Gainesville Airport at 8,500 feet. N44899 requested permission to descend to 4,500 feet at 0055:19. Jacksonville Center approved the request at 0055:26, and instructed the pilot to maintain VFR, which was acknowledged by the pilot at 0055:30. Review of the Discrete Area Radar Tracking System, National Track Analysis Program (NTAP), indicates N44899 initiated a descent to the south-southwest at 0056:32. At 0057:14, the airplane was observed in a left turn with a noticeable decrease in groundspeed. At 0059:32, the airplane was observed in a right turn descending with a further reduction of groundspeed. The airplane descended through 4,500 feet at 0100:32. Radar data indicates N44899 was at 2,300 feet at 0103:26, when radar contact was lost. Jacksonville Center attempted to establish radio contact N44899 at 0104:10, which was uneventful. A witness w
Probable cause
The pilot-in-command's lack of total experience in instrument flight, simulated instrument flight, and night flight resulting in the pilot becoming spatially disoriented, and subsequent in-flight collision with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the dark night with no visible horizon.
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Browse: Florida · Piper aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
