Grumman American AA-5B N74693

Summary

On 17 June 1994 at about 05:30 local time, a Grumman American AA-5B registered N74693, operated by Van Lierop, Johannas C., was involved in an accident near Youngstown, Florida, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

17 June 1994 at 05:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Youngstown, Florida, United States

Coordinates

30.3591, -85.4296

Aircraft

Grumman American AA-5B

Registration

N74693

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Van Lierop, Johannas C.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Destin → Blountstown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

Unk

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

ATL94FA121

1 person died.

SPATIAL DISORIENTATION EXPERIENCED BY THE PILOT, WHICH RESULTED IN HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRCRAFT CONTROL. FACTORS WERE THE CONDITIONS CONDUCIVE TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION (DARK NIGHT LIGHTING CONDITIONS, HIGH CLOUD COVER, THUNDERSTORMS), 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

THE PRIVATE, NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT WAS RETURNING HOME, VFR, AT NIGHT. HE INITIALLY RECEIVED VFR FLIGHT FOLLOWING FROM EGLIN APPROACH, AND WAS GIVEN A FREQUENCY CHANGE TO JAX CENTER. NO SUBSEQUENT COMMUNICATIONS WERE RECEIVED FROM THE PILOT, ALTHOUGH JAX CENTER REPORTED THAT THE RADIO FREQUENCY THAT THE PILOT WAS GIVEN WAS NOT THE CORRECT ONE, AND TRANSMISSIONS WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GOOD ON THAT FREQUENCY. RADAR DATA INDICATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS TRAVELING EAST NORTHEAST AT 2,400 FEET WHEN IT ENTERED A DESCENDING, RIGHT HAND TURN. RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST AT 400 FEET, WITH THE AIRCRAFT IN A STEEP, RIGHT HAND DESCENDING TURN. THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND IN AN OPEN, PLOWED FIELD. GENERAL DISINTEGRATION OF THE WRECKAGE INDICATED A HIGH ENERGY IMPACT WITH TERRAIN. NO EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE WAS OBSERVED DURING THE WRECKAGE EXAM. THE AREA OF THE CRASH SITE WAS REMOTE FARMLAND, WITH A MARKED ABSENCE OF GROUND LIGHTING. LOCAL AREA THUNDERSTORMS AND HIGH CLOUD COVER PRODUCED CONDITIONS CONDUCIVE TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION. THE PILOT'S TOTAL FLIGHT TIME WAS 115 HOURS (12 HOURS AT NIGHT).

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.