Samson Seawind 3000 accident near Wrightsville Bh, NC
On August 28, 2005, a Samson Seawind 3000 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Wrightsville Bh, NC. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- August 28, 2005
- Place
- Wrightsville Bh, NC
- Aircraft
- Samson Seawind 3000 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 34.255°N, 77.739°W
- NTSB ID
- 20050901X01353
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On August 28, 2005 at 0212 eastern daylight time, a Samson Seawind 3000 experimental airplane, N88PS, registered to Samson Flying Service and operated by the private pilot, collided into the Atlantic Ocean about 2 miles off the coast of Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed. The private pilot and the passenger received fatal injuries, and the airplane was destroyed. The flight departed Wilmington International Airport (ILM), Wilmington, North Carolina, about 0208. A review of radar data revealed a target with a transponder code of 1200 was detected by radar about 0208 in the vicinity of ILM at an altitude of 400 feet. The data showed the flight headed eastbound to the coast and climbed to approximately 1,200 feet. The flight then crossed over the coastline and continued eastbound toward open ocean. Immediately after the flight crossed over the coastline, its ground track entered a 360-degree turn to the right, and it descended rapidly into the ocean. According to an ILM Public Safety operations report, about 0220 the 911 center advised that a Bald Head Island resident reported that a small airplane may have gone down off the south end of the island. By about 0245, additional reports were received, and a search and rescue effort was initiated. Wreckage debris was found floating in the water off Wrightsville Beach about 1140. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane s
Probable cause
The pilot's improper preflight decision to attempt night VFR flight into IMC, which resulted in an inflight encounter with weather and the pilot's subsequent loss of control of the airplane due to spatial disorientation.
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Browse: North Carolina
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
