On August 1, 1992, a Cessna 337A (registration N337LS) operated by Lovelace, John C. & B.j. was involved in an aviation accident near Ruidoso, NM. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: THE PILOT EXPERIENCING SPATIAL DISORIENTATION AND THE RESULTANT EXCESSIVE DESCENT RATE. FACTORS WERE: THE DARK NIGHT CONDITIONS. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pilot cleared for a visual approach reported being too high and circled to land. An airport attendant observed a left turn over the runway, then a hard dive into a ravine one mile south.
Incident Details
A pilot was cleared by Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) for a visual approach to Runway 24. The pilot subsequently contacted UNICOM and stated that he was too high and would perform a circling maneuver to land.
Witness Observation
An airport attendant observed the airplane's landing lights and watched as it began a left turn when it was positioned over and halfway down the runway. The descent rate then increased dramatically, described as a "hard dive about 35 to 45 degrees," before the airplane disappeared into a ravine located one mile south of the airport.
Environmental Conditions
Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, but the night was dark with no moon.
What happened in the 1 Aug 1992 Cessna 337A accident near Ruidoso, NM?
A pilot cleared for a visual approach reported being too high and circled to land. An airport attendant observed a left turn over the runway, then a hard dive into a ravine one mile south.
What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?
The accident on 1 Aug 1992 involved a Cessna 337A, registration N337LS, operated by Lovelace, John C. & B.j., at Ruidoso, NM.
What was the probable cause of the accident?
THE PILOT EXPERIENCING SPATIAL DISORIENTATION AND THE RESULTANT EXCESSIVE DESCENT RATE. FACTORS WERE: THE DARK NIGHT CONDITIONS.
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