Pilot Debrief

PIPER PA-30 near Biglerville, PA — 2013-12-26

Final reportERA14FA077
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Date
2013-12-26
Location
Biglerville, PA, USA
Aircraft
PIPER PA-30
Registration
N8372Y
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Fatal
Fatalities
2
Phase of flight
Descent

Probable cause

The noninstrument-rated pilot's spatial disorientation after inadvertently encountering instrument meteorological conditions at night and his subsequent loss of airplane control.

NTSB narrative

Before the flight, the pilot obtained weather information for an airport near the departure airport and for an airport about 275 miles south along his route of flight. He did not file a flight plan, did not receive any other services for the accident flight, and departed in night visual meteorological conditions. According to GPS and air traffic control data, the airplane was flying on a southwesterly heading before it turned right. It subsequently turned left and then right before it entered a descending left turn and impacted terrain. Examinations of the airframe and engines revealed no preimpact mechanical malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. Further, there was no evidence of a medical impairment that would have affected the pilot's performance. A review of the plot's logbooks revealed no entries for night or instrument flight in the year before the accident. A National Weather Service observation from about 15 miles southwest of the accident site showed rapidly changing conditions with a band of snow moving across the region at the time of the accident. In addition, the next observation showed a lowering ceiling that was overcast to broken from 3,200 to 2,800 ft above ground level; snow started falling about 26 minutes after the accident. Considering the weather conditions around the time of the accident, it is likely that the pilot inadvertently encountered instrument meteorological conditions in light snow with no visible surface lights and, as a result, had to transition to relying solely on the instruments. Given these conditions, the pilot's limited instrument and night experience, and the pilot's maneuvering, it is likely that he experienced spatial disorientation and subsequently entered a descending left turn and lost control of the airplane.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Spatial disorientation
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have avoided night VFR flight in deteriorating weather conditions.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • ADS-B / radar
  • Photos
  • 19 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents19

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