On November 29, 1990, a Piper PA-28-161 (registration N174ER) was involved in an aviation accident near Bunnell, FL. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE, WHILE MANEUVERING AT NIGHT OVER AN UNLIGHTED AREA, WHICH RESULTED IN A COLLISION WITH TREES. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARKNESS AND POSSIBLE SPATIAL DISORIENTATION OF THE PILOT DUE TO LACK OF VISUAL QUES. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 4 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A pilot on a night VFR flight followed a procedure that took the aircraft over a dark, unlighted area. The aircraft subsequently collided with trees and crashed about 8 miles from the airport while in a shallow descent. No mechanical failure was found.
Accident Overview
A pilot operating under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) at night experienced an accident shortly after takeoff. The aircraft was following a VFR procedure that led it over a dark, unlighted area. Approximately 8 miles from the departure airport, while in a shallow descent, the aircraft collided with trees and crashed. The main wreckage came to rest 578 feet beyond the initial point of tree impact.
Examination Findings
Investigators found no evidence of a preimpact mechanical failure or malfunction of the aircraft or its engines. The aircraft appeared to have been intact before striking the trees.
Pilot Information
The pilot had accumulated 12 hours of night flying time. His most recent night flight had occurred 106 days before the accident.
What happened in the 29 Nov 1990 Piper PA-28-161 accident near Bunnell, FL?
A pilot on a night VFR flight followed a procedure that took the aircraft over a dark, unlighted area. The aircraft subsequently collided with trees and crashed about 8 miles from the airport while in a shallow descent. No mechanical failure was found.
What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?
The accident on 29 Nov 1990 involved a Piper PA-28-161, registration N174ER, at Bunnell, FL.
What was the probable cause of the accident?
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE, WHILE MANEUVERING AT NIGHT OVER AN UNLIGHTED AREA, WHICH RESULTED IN A COLLISION WITH TREES. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARKNESS AND POSSIBLE SPATIAL DISORIENTATION OF THE PILOT DUE TO LACK OF VISUAL QUES.
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