Pilot Debrief

CESSNA U206 near Spring Hill, FL — 2015-09-18

Final reportERA15FA361
Sign in to save
Date
2015-09-18
Location
Spring Hill, FL, USA
Airport
BKV
Aircraft
CESSNA U206
Registration
N8615Z
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Fatal
Fatalities
1
Phase of flight
Approach

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain a stabilized instrument approach, which resulted in a loss of control.

NTSB narrative

The commercial pilot departed in his amphibious, single-engine airplane on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan for his home seaplane base. When the pilot arrived near his destination, he cancelled his flight plan with air traffic control (ATC), then circled in the area before requesting another IFR clearance to an airport that was equipped with an instrument approach. ATC cleared the pilot for the approach. A review of radar data indicated that the approach was normal until the airplane passed over the final approach fix; it then went off course and entered a steep descent into a residential neighborhood. Postaccident examination of the airframe, engine, and data downloaded from the electronic engine monitor revealed no mechanical deficiencies that would have precluded normal operation before impact. The pilot's logbook revealed that he had been actively training for his flight instructor certificate for instrument airplane and had recent IFR experience. The pilot's toxicology testing was positive for metabolites of cocaine; however, it could not be determined if he was impaired at the time of the accident. The pilot was also under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for not reporting his past use of illegal drugs and suicidal thoughts. The FAA had conducted two psychological evaluations and a review was in process regarding the status of his medical certificate at the time of the accident. However, the investigation could not determine whether any underlying psychiatric or psychological conditions contributed to the pilot's behavior at the time of the accident.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Human factors
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have maintained IFR instead of canceling flight plan near seaplane base.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • ATC audio
  • Photos
  • 10 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents10

Related mishaps