Aircraft Accident Near Hendersonville Airport (N18303)

Departure and Loss of Contact Records indicated that the pilot received clearance for departure. At 0942, radar contact was established with the aircraft, and the pilot was instructed to turn left and proceed direct to the Sugarloaf VOR. Witnesses estimated the weather conditions to be 200 to 300 feet overcast with 1.5 miles visibility in fog. At 0945, radar contact with the aircraft was lost. ## Wreckage Examination The wreckage site was located approximately four miles east of Hendersonville Airport, at the base of a hill. The aircraft was found in a nose-down attitude. All flight control surfaces, flight controls, the engine, and the propeller were recovered at the site. Post-accident examination of the engine revealed that the crankshaft had been rotated, and valve train movement was confirmed in all cylinders, the oil pump, and the pistons. The three propeller blades displayed chord-wise scoring and were bent aft. The left and right wing assemblies remained attached to the fuselage and sustained crush damage. The cockpit and empennage were also crush damaged, as were the vertical and horizontal flight surfaces and controls. ## Contributing Factors The source references Advisory Circular 61-23C, which discusses spatial disorientation and illusions in flight. It notes that various complex motions, forces, and visual scenes can create illusions of motion and position. Spatial disorientation can be prevented only by visual reference to reliable, fixed points on the ground or to flight instruments. The source emphasizes that the most overwhelming illusions in flight may be prevented by avoiding sudden, extreme head movements, particularly during prolonged constant-rate turns under instrument flight rules conditions.