Cessna 172K N78304

Summary

On 18 November 2012 at about 23:55 local time, a Cessna 172K registered N78304, operated by David E. Wentz, was involved in an accident near Savannah, Georgia, 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

18 November 2012 at 23:55

Classification

Accident

Location

Savannah, Georgia, United States

Nearest airport

Savannah/HHI International (SAV)

Coordinates

31.9353, -81.1956

Aircraft

Cessna 172K

Registration

N78304

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

David E. Wentz

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Liberty → Savannah

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

ERA13FA062

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to maintain airplane control while operating in night, instrument meteorological conditions, due to spatial disorientation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was attempting an instrument landing system approach to a northbound runway in night, instrument meteorological conditions. The air traffic controller issued a series of radar vectors to the pilot to guide him to the localizer course. However, after the controller cleared the pilot to intercept the localizer, the airplane instead continued across the localizer course. The pilot initiated a 270-degree turn to the south, crossed the localizer course, and then turned back toward the localizer course again. The controller observed that the airplane was in a descent and queried the pilot on his altitude. The pilot replied that he was "…trying to recover." Radio and radar contact were then lost and search and rescue operations were initiated. The airplane was located in a salt marsh south of the destination airport and appeared to have been in a right, descending spiral when it impacted the marshy terrain. The wreckage was extremely fragmented. An examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of a preimpact mechanical anomaly or failure that would have precluded normal operation. Propeller signatures indicated high engine power at impact. The pilot received his instrument rating about 6 months before the accident, at which time he reported about 189 hours of total flight time, including about 43 hours of instrument and 21 hours of night pilot-in-command flight time. Based on the night, instrument meteorological conditions, the pilot's actions and responses during the flight, and examination of the wreckage, it is likely that the pilot experienced spatial disorientation and lost control of the airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.