Pilot Debrief

CESSNA 150 near Penwell, TX — 2016-06-02

Final reportCEN16LA203
Sign in to save
Date
2016-06-02
Location
Penwell, TX, USA
Aircraft
CESSNA 150
Registration
N5679G
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Fatal
Fatalities
1

Probable cause

The pilot’s intentional flight into a silo.

NTSB narrative

The commercial pilot telephoned his wife from his car and told her he was en route to his company's airplane hangar and was going to kill himself. She alerted her husband's employer, who then alerted the police department. The pilot took the airplane without the company's permission and then flew it into a 138-ft-tall silo. The autopsy report cited the manner of death as being "consistent with suicide."

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Human factors
First missed decision gate
Pilot took the airplane without permission and expressed intent to harm himself.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 3 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents3

Related mishaps