Cessna 170A N9192A

Summary

On 26 November 1989 at about 23:15 local time, a Cessna 170A registered N9192A was involved in an accident near Rogersville, Tennessee, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

26 November 1989 at 23:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Rogersville, Tennessee, United States

Coordinates

36.3995, -83.0008

Aircraft

Cessna 170A

Registration

N9192A

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Manassas → Knoxville

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

MIA90FA031

2 people died.

CONTINUED FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS BY A NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT RESULTING IN SPATIAL DISORIENTATION AND A LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S OVERCONFIDENCE IN HIS ABILITY TO FLY IN INSTRUMENT CONDITIONS, THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE DARK NIGHT, AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF NIGHT FLYING EXPERIENCE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

DURING THE PILOT'S INITIAL WX BRIEFING AT 1101, HE WAS ADVISED VFR FLIGHT NOT RECOMMENDED THROUGH MOUNTAINS UNTIL COLD FRONT HAD PASSED. DURING A LATER 1331 WX BRIEFING HE WAS INFORMED THAT WX CONDITIONS WERE DETERIORATING SOUTH OF ROANOKE, VA, THROUGH HIS DESTINATION AIRPORT. THERE WERE FLT PRECAUTIONS FOR LIGHT-MODERATE RIME ICING FROM FREEZING LEVEL OF 8,500 FT TO 12,500 FT. LATER AN UNIDENTIFIED ACFT WAS OBSERVED ON RADAR CIRCLING AT 8,500 FT, THEN DESCEND TO 5,500 FT, THEN HEAD SOUTHWESTBOUND NEXT TO THE FINAL APPROACH COURSE FOR ILS RWY 23 AT TRI-CITY REGIONAL AIRPORT. IT THEN TURNED WESTBOUND AT 1810 BEFORE DISAPPEARING FROM RADAR. THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED DESCENDING ALONG A RIDGELINE; GROUND FOG TOTALLY OBSCURED THE TOPS. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED TERRAIN AT ABOUT A 90-DEGREE NOSE-DOWN ATTITUDE. PILOT'S TOTAL RECORDED NIGHT TIME WAS 5.5 HRS; LAST FLIGHT 1/89. LAST BIENNIAL 29 MONTHS BEFORE ACCIDENT. PILOT HAD PREVIOUSLY SPOKE OF 'PUSHING THE LIMITS' IN REGARD TO FLYING IN MARGINAL WX CONDITIONS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.