Flight History
On September 23, 2019, about 2045 central daylight time, a Cessna 150G, registration N4658X, was substantially damaged when it crashed near Prairie Grove, Arkansas. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, suffered fatal injuries. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
Earlier that evening, an employee of the fixed-base operator fueled the airplane. The employee recalled that the pilot mentioned being "very tired" after working earlier that day. The pilot appeared confused about the receipt, which the employee attributed to fatigue. However, the pilot sounded clear during radio transmissions and requested flight following from the tower controller. The employee noted that the engine sounded normal and there was no precipitation, though high clouds were present at departure.
Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) and radar data showed the airplane departed from runway 34 and turned south-southeast. After climbing to about 4,400 feet, it entered a left turn followed by a rapid spiraling descent. A nearby landowner reported hearing a low-flying airplane and then an impact. He smelled fuel but could not locate the wreckage in the dark and notified first responders. The wreckage was later found in wooded, hilly terrain near his residence.
Pilot Information
The pilot's logbook, recovered from the wreckage, indicated his private pilot certificate was issued on July 2, 2019. He performed a night currency renewal on August 11, 2019, and recorded 3 additional hours of night flight after that date. His last logbook entry was August 17, 2019, showing a total of 106.1 flight hours, including approximately 90 hours in the accident airplane make and model, at least 9.5 hours of night experience, and 59.9 hours of dual instruction. He had 3.4 hours of instruction in simulated instrument conditions, with the most recent (0.2 hours) on July 2, 2019. There was no record of experience in actual instrument conditions.
According to the pilot's father and a friend, the pilot had recently started a new job, and his first day of work was the day of the accident. He woke at about 0530, worked from 0700 to 1400, and departed his home airfield around 1600. A passenger on a flight before the accident flight stated the airplane appeared to be operating normally. After landing, the pilot ate quickly and wanted to depart soon because he had work the next morning. He told a friend he was "really tired," and when she advised him not to fly, he said he would drink an energy drink. She also expressed concern about his flying in the dark; he responded that he needed to log more night hours.
Meteorological Information
Weather conditions at the time were mostly visual flight rules, with scattered clouds at 4,800 feet above ground level. Satellite imagery detected a small area of low stratiform clouds over the accident site, with cloud tops near 8,000 feet mean sea level. Both the sun and moon were more than 15° below the horizon, providing no additional illumination.
There was no record of the pilot receiving a weather briefing before departure or obtaining weather information through ForeFlight. The passenger on the preceding flight reported the pilot used his iPad for weather, but the specific application or information accessed could not be determined.
Wreckage and Impact Information
Impact signatures were consistent with the airplane colliding with trees and terrain in a nose-low, nearly vertical attitude. All major components were accounted for at the accident site. Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Additional Information
A performance study based on ADS-B data indicated that at approximately 2040:07, the airplane entered a momentary climb of 4,000 feet per minute (fpm). During the climb, groundspeed decreased from 90 knots to 30 knots, and the pitch attitude increased from 5° to 60° nose-up. The airplane then entered a descent of about 6,000 fpm, and at 2040:33, the recorded bank angle showed the airplane was inverted. The power-off stall speed listed in the pilot operating handbook was 48 knots.
The Federal Aviation Administration's Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge defines spatial disorientation as "the lack of orientation with regard to the position, attitude, or movement of the airplane in space." The handbook notes that in visual conditions, the eyes are the primary orientation source, but when visual cues are absent, as in instrument meteorological conditions or at night without a visible horizon, false sensations can lead to disorientation unless the pilot relies on flight instruments.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy was performed by the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory. Toxicology testing detected ethanol in cavity blood and muscle, but not in the liver. The specimens were noted to be putrefied.