Cessna 400 N207JB

Summary

On 5 July 2009 at about 16:56 local time, a Cessna 400 registered N207JB was involved in an accident near Huntington, West Virginia, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

5 July 2009 at 16:56

Classification

Accident

Location

Huntington, West Virginia, United States

Coordinates

38.3150, -82.5283

Aircraft

Cessna 400

Registration

N207JB

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Huntington → Kalamazoo

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA09FA377

2 people died.

The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane due to spatial disorientation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The instrument-rated private pilot, departed the airport on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan under daytime instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) with overcast clouds 800 feet (ft) above ground level. The airport elevation was 828 feet mean sea level (msl). Radar data showed the airplane climbed to an altitude of 1,500 ft mean sea level (msl), before initiating a right-hand turn as the pilot had been instructed. The pilot's communications with air traffic control were routine until he failed to acknowledge the controller's instruction to continue the turn and to climb to 5,000 ft msl. Radar data showed that the airplane climbed to 2,300 ft msl, turned left, and started to descend. Radar contact was lost after the plane descended below 2,200 ft msl. The airplane struck trees 3.5 miles south of the airport at an elevation of 850 ft msl, and was in a left wing low 50 degree nose down pitch attitude during the impact sequence. A postaccident examination of the airplane and engine revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation, and the propeller showed impact damage consistent with operating at high power. Based on the observed weather in the area, the pilot would have been in IMC shortly after initiating his right-hand turn. The IMC flight conditions, radar track, power settings, and impact attitude are consistent with the pilot experiencing spatial disorientation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.