Cessna 172N N739WS

Summary

On 8 November 1991 at about 05:09 local time, a Cessna 172N registered N739WS, operated by Okeechobee Co Sheriff's Office, was involved in an accident near Okeechobee, Florida, United States. 2 people were on board and one died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 November 1991 at 05:09

Classification

Accident

Location

Okeechobee, Florida, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Cessna 172N

Registration

N739WS

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Okeechobee Co Sheriff's Office

Operating rule

Public Use

Purpose of flight

Public Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

MIA92GA024

1 person died.

THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE DURING A LOW PASS AT NIGHT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE THE PILOT'S LIKELY SPATIAL DISORIENTATION DUE TO THE LACK OF SURFACE VISUAL CLUES, THE DARK NIGHT CONDITIONS, AND THE PATCHY FOG CONDITIONS.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTING AN AERIAL RECONNAISSANCE LOOKING FOR 2 MISSING FISHERMEN ON LAKE OKEECHOBEE. WHILE DESCENDING TO 125 FT AGL, A BOAT WAS SPOTTED OFF THE LEFT WING. THE AIRPLANE TURNED TOWARDS THE BOAT DESCENDING WITH THE LANDING LIGHT ON. WHILE OVERFLYING THE BOAT, THE LANDING LIGHT WAS TURNED OFF AND THEN BACK ON. THE PILOT LATER STATED THE LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHAT APPEARED TO BE HAZE, WITH NO VISUAL SIGHTING OF THE WATER. THE AIRPLANE THEN COLLIDED WITH THE WATER AND NOSED OVER. WITNESSES STATED THAT THE NIGHT WAS VERY DARK WITH PATCHY GROUND FOG.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.