Cessna 172S N5269X

Summary

On 8 December 2009 at about 03:23 local time, a Cessna 172S registered N5269X, operated by Ramz Enterprises, was involved in an accident near Kissimmee, Florida, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 December 2009 at 03:23

Classification

Accident

Location

Kissimmee, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Florida Gateway Airport (ISM)

Coordinates

28.1411, -81.4156

Aircraft

Cessna 172S

Registration

N5269X

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Ramz Enterprises

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Kissimmee → Ft. Lauderdale

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

ERA10FA091

4 people died.

The pilot's decision to depart under special VFR flight at night when instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the departure airport and along the route of flight and his continued VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in his spatial disorientation and subsequent loss of aircraft control.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The non-instrument-rated pilot departed for a night cross-country flight while instrument meteorological conditions existed at the departure airport. The pilot requested and received from air traffic control a special visual flight rules (VFR) clearance. After departure, the airplane was observed on radar climbing to an altitude of 2,400 feet above mean sea level (msl). Approximately 1 minute prior to the last radar return, air traffic control cleared the accident flight "on course" and the clearance was acknowledged by the pilot. Subsequently, radar data indicated that the airplane began a 180-degree right turn and its altitude decreased from 2,400 feet msl to 0 feet msl in about 12 seconds. The last radar return was located in the immediate vicinity of the accident location. The dark surface of the water in a relatively unlit area would have provided the pilot limited external visual reference and could have resulted in him becoming spatially disoriented or affected by a visual illusion. The pilot's logbook revealed that he had visited the departure airport several times prior to the accident. A postaccident examination of the airplane, structure, flight controls, engine, aircraft systems, and flight instruments revealed no preimpact mechanical malfunctions.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.