History of Flight
On December 7, 2021, at 2124 eastern standard time, a Cessna 182 airplane, registration N5776B, was destroyed when it crashed near Statesboro, Georgia. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries. The flight was operated under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. According to a family member, the pilot had flown from Zephyrhills Municipal Airport (ZPH), Florida, to Statesboro-Bulloch County Airport (TBR), Georgia, for a meeting and planned to return that night. The pilot owned a skydiving business that had operated out of TBR and was familiar with the area.
During a telephone conversation at about 2030, the pilot told the family member that clouds were low and that she would not file an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan. She intended to stay at a low altitude for 10 to 15 miles after takeoff on the return trip to ZPH.
Review of automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data showed that the airplane departed runway 14 at 2121. Shortly after takeoff, the flight track turned south, climbed to about 1,000 ft msl (800 ft agl), then about 1.8 nautical miles south of TBR, entered a left turn. The airplane continued in a tightening left 360° turn, reaching a maximum altitude of about 1,800 ft msl, followed by a rapid descent. The last ADS-B point at 2124:32 was about 0.1 miles from the crash site, showing the airplane heading east at 575 ft msl (375 ft agl).
Multiple witnesses reported seeing or hearing the airplane. A witness at the TBR airport parking lot saw the takeoff; the airplane's lights were on, the engine noise was loud, and it sounded like the airplane was climbing steeply. Two witnesses near the accident site saw the airplane in a curved descent that became rapid. One noted a "sparkler glow" before impact but no fire in the air. Another witness, a private pilot, heard the airplane unusually low and later heard the engine "screaming." A different witness heard engine noise until a "thud."
Personnel Information
The pilot's logbook was not recovered. Her most recent flight review, instrument currency, and night currency could not be determined.
Meteorological Information
Instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) with low clouds prevailed at TBR, first recorded at 2035, about 45 minutes before takeoff. At 2115, the reported ceiling was 600 ft agl. Based on this, the airplane likely entered the low cloud layer at about 800 ft msl and did not climb above the cloud tops, which were near 8,000 to 9,000 ft msl. Dark night conditions existed; civil twilight ended at 1748 and the moon set at 2105. There was no record of the pilot filing a flight plan or requesting a weather briefing. No contact with air traffic control occurred.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The wreckage was highly fragmented, oriented on a debris path of about 110° magnetic. The initial impact scar was about 220 ft from the main wreckage, at an elevation of about 175 ft msl. All major components were found along the debris path. The left-wing tip and fragments were in the initial impact scar, consistent with a descending left bank impact. No evidence of an in-flight fire was found, but postcrash fire caused thermal damage. Examination revealed no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures. The altimeter setting corresponded to the 2115 TBR observation. No evidence of a vacuum pump failure was observed.
Additional Information
The FAA Civil Aerospace Institute's publication defines spatial disorientation as a loss of proper bearings or mental confusion relative to the earth's position. Contributing factors include changes in acceleration, flight in IMC, frequent VMC/IMC transitions, and unperceived attitude changes. The FAA's Airplane Flying Handbook notes that the vestibular sense can confuse pilots due to inertia, leading to false sensations and spatial disorientation.
Medical and Pathological Information
The autopsy report from the Georgia State Bureau of Investigation stated the pilot's cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries, ruled an accident. Toxicology testing by the FAA identified ethanol in muscle tissue at 0.025 gm/dl but none in liver; brain testing was inconclusive. Quetiapine (Seroquel) was found in liver tissue at 17 ng/gm; it is an atypical antipsychotic used for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and off-label for insomnia.