Cessna 172-P N5332K

Summary

On 16 September 1990 at about 03:22 local time, a Cessna 172-P registered N5332K, operated by Wings Aloft, Inc., was involved in an accident near Hood River, Oregon, United States. 4 people were on board and one died, 3 were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

16 September 1990 at 03:22

Classification

Accident

Location

Hood River, Oregon, United States

Coordinates

45.6096, -121.5790

Aircraft

Cessna 172-P

Registration

N5332K

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Wings Aloft, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

The Dalles → Seattle

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

SEA90FA183

1 person died.

THE PILOT IN COMMAND'S ENCOUNTERING SPATIAL DISORIENTATION AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE RECENTLY CERT PRIVATE PILOT WHO WAS NOT RATED FOR INST FLT TOOK OFF AT NIGHT ON A VFR X-COUNTRY FLT INTO AN AREA OF KNOWN IMC WX. WHEN THE FLT ENCOUNTERED ADVERSE WX, THE PILOT REVERSED COURSE AND ATTEMPTED TO LAND AT AN UNFAMILIAR ARPT. THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN LONG AND THE PILOT ANNOUNCED ON UNICOM THAT HE WAS MAKING A GO-AROUND. THE ACFT CLIMBED TO ABOUT 200 FT AGL, STALLED AND DESCENDED NOSE DOWN UNTIL IT IMPACTED THE GROUND. SKY WAS OVERCAST AND MODERATE RAIN WAS FALLING. THERE WAS NO ARTIFICIAL LIGHT IN THE DIRECTION OF FLT. THE PILOT HAD 5 HRS NIGHT TIME AND NONE OUTSIDE A LIGHTED METRO AREA.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.