Dahlman-Dower TAILWIND W-8 N7804C

Summary

On 21 April 2011 at about 16:29 local time, a Dahlman-Dower TAILWIND W-8 registered N7804C, operated by Lazzarini Arthur A., was involved in an accident near Elk City, Oklahoma, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

21 April 2011 at 16:29

Classification

Accident

Location

Elk City, Oklahoma, United States

Coordinates

35.5000, -99.4500

Aircraft

Dahlman-Dower TAILWIND W-8

Registration

N7804C

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Lazzarini Arthur A.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Pueblo → Liberal

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN11FA300

1 person died.

The pilot's decision to attempt flight into instrument meteorological conditions in an airplane that was equipped for flight in visual meteorological conditions only, which resulted in the pilot’s spatial disoriented and loss of control of the airplane.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot’s in-flight weather briefing indicated that instrument meteorological conditions, including low ceilings, were forecast for the area. He then contacted the nearest Air Route Traffic Control Center and requested an instrument clearance to a nearby airport. The controller offered to vector the pilot for an instrument landing system, very-high frequency omnidirectional radio range, or area navigation/global positioning system approach to that airport, but the pilot said he was having gyro problems. The pilot said he would divert to a visual flight rules (VFR) airport. Radio and radar contacts were then lost. A postaccident examination of the wreckage at the scene indicated that the airplane struck the shoulder of a road in an inverted, nose-down attitude. The only navigational charts found at the accident scene were a bound VFR chart atlas. No instrument flight rules charts were found. A further examination of the airplane showed that the airplane was equipped with basic VFR instrumentation only. Analysis of radar data revealed that the airplane made three turns: two tight left turns followed by a wide right turn. These turns took place in the last few minutes of flight and were consistent with a spiraling descent.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.