Beechcraft 58 N3217L

Summary

On 17 January 2008 at about 00:22 local time, a Beechcraft 58 registered N3217L, operated by Aitheras Aviation Group, was involved in an accident near Cleveland, Ohio, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

17 January 2008 at 00:22

Classification

Accident

Location

Cleveland, Ohio, United States

Nearest airport

Burke Lakefront (BKL)

Coordinates

41.5175, -81.6833

Aircraft

Beechcraft 58

Registration

N3217L

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Aitheras Aviation Group

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Positioning

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Cleveland → Niagara Falls

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

CHI08FA066

1 person died.

The pilot experienced spatial disorientation during the inital climb causing him to lose control of the airplane.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was hired by the airplane operator for a positioning flight. The pilot departed at night in a northerly right turn over Lake Erie from a lake shore airport. The moon and city associated with the airport were south of his flight path. The airplane was observed descending in the right hand turn and subsequently impacting the lake. An examination of the recovered wreckage revealed no preimpact anomalies, and an engine monitor recorded sensor readings consistent with both engines being at a high power until the recorded data stopped. The pilot had a history of back pain and had been regularly and recently using a potentially sedating muscle relaxant, which could cause impairment. He had heart disease identified during the autopsy that may have increased his risk of sudden cardiac death. He was also at high risk for obstructive sleep apnea, which commonly causes fatigue and cognitive impairment; however, the investigation could not conclusively identify that the pilot was impaired. The maneuvering of the aircraft and lack of outside visual references soon after takeoff made the situation conducive to spatial disorientation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.