Mikoyan Gurevich Mig-15 accident near Whiteville, NC
On September 18, 2002, a Mikoyan Gurevich Mig-15 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Whiteville, NC. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- September 18, 2002
- Place
- Whiteville, NC
- Aircraft
- Mikoyan Gurevich Mig-15 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 34.218°N, 78.440°W
- NTSB ID
- 20020920X05184
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On September 18, 2002, at 1300 eastern daylight time, a Mikoyan Gurevich MIG-15 fighter airplane, registered to and operated by the pilot, collided with the ground near Whiteville, North Carolina. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, however, witnesses in the vicinity of the accident reported thunderstorm activity at the approximate time of the accident. The airplane was destroyed and the commercial pilot was fatally injured. The flight departed North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina on September 18, 2002 at 1245. After departing North Myrtle Beach, the pilot established radio contact with Washington Center for flight following to Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia. The flight was assigned a cruise altitude of 17,500 feet and was given a squawk code. The pilot had begun to read back the squawk code when radio communication with the airplane was lost. Attempts to re-establish communications failed, and the remaining circumstances of the flight are not known. When the airplane failed to reach the destination airport, a search was initiated. The airplane wreckage was located several hours later in a wooded area near Whiteville, North Carolina. The flight was enroute from North Myrtle Beach to NAS Oceana for an air show. PERSONNEL INFORMATION Review of information on file with the FAA Airman's Certification Division, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, revealed the pilot was issued a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane
Probable cause
The pilot continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions and experienced spatial disorientation which resulted in a loss of control and the subsequent collision with the ground .
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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.