Cessna 182M N91593

Summary

On 28 February 2009 at about 05:45 local time, a Cessna 182M registered N91593 was involved in an accident near Albany, Louisiana, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

28 February 2009 at 05:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Albany, Louisiana, United States

Nearest airport

Hammond Northshore Regional (KHDC)

Coordinates

30.5753, -90.6008

Aircraft

Cessna 182M

Registration

N91593

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Slidell → Marksville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

CEN09FA178

3 people died.

The pilot's loss of control of the airplane due to spatial disorientation after an encounter with marginal VMC and/or instrument meteorological conditions. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to attempt the flight with the preflight knowledge of deteriorating weather conditions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The non-instrument rated private pilot planned to attend a skydiving event near the destination airport that began the next day. Prior to departure, the pilot was aware of the low clouds affecting the destination airport. The pilot told an acquaintance at the destination airport that he needed to make the flight that night because of deteriorating weather conditions that were expected on the next day. Marginal visual flight rules (VFR) dark night conditions with occasional misting rain prevailed near the accident scene. Nearby stations reported 10 miles visibility with the bases of broken clouds as low as 1,500 feet with overcast clouds above. Radar data shows the airplane was at a varying altitude of approximately 3,000 feet mean sea level (msl) when it began to fly on a meandering course for approximately the last 20 minutes of the flight. The airplane made several turns and descended with the last radar contact at 1,600 feet msl. A witness located about 2 miles south of the accident location said he heard an airplane make several tight turns and estimated the airplane was at 800 to 1,000 feet above him in the clouds when it passed directly overhead. Two to three minutes later he heard the airplane "go to full power" and it sounded like it was "in a dive for about 2 seconds" until he heard the sounds of impact. Radar information and witness account suggested that the pilot may have been disoriented in the marginal VMC flight environment. The airplane was substantially damaged by the impact forces, and subsequent examination of the wreckage did not reveal any preimpact anomalies that would have prevented the normal operation of the airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.