Case Richard L VAN RV-6 N455RC

Summary

On 5 October 2009 at about 16:50 local time, a Case Richard L VAN RV-6 registered N455RC, operated by Hetzel Kenneth R, was involved in an accident near Magnolia, North Carolina, 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

5 October 2009 at 16:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Magnolia, North Carolina, United States

Coordinates

34.8906, -78.0517

Aircraft

Case Richard L VAN RV-6

Registration

N455RC

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Hetzel Kenneth R

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Wilmington → Louisburg

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA10LA007

1 person died.

The pilot's continued visual flight into instrument meterological conditions and his subsequent failure to maintain aircraft control. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's inadequate preflight evaluation of the weather.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The non-instrument-rated pilot was on a visual-flight-rules flight when he contacted air traffic control and stated that he was "in the thick of the weather." Air traffic control subsequently observed the airplane on radar at 1,500 feet, circling, before being lost off of radar. A witness reported that it was raining heavily when he noticed an airplane spinning out of the clouds toward the ground. The recorded weather near the accident site about the time of the accident included: winds from 020 degrees at 7 knots, visibility of 7 miles in light rain, with a ceiling of 300 feet broken, 2,500 feet broken, 7,000 feet overcast. According to Air Traffic Control Service personnel there were no records of any communication with the flight service station or entries made in the direct user access terminal system (DUATS) prior to pilot's flight. Examination of the aircraft structure, flight controls, systems, and engine by an FAA inspector showed no evidence of precrash failure or malfunction.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.