Cessna 172 N615JA

Summary

On 1 March 2018 at about 00:30 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N615JA, operated by Middle River Aviation LLC, was involved in an accident near Ocean City, Maryland, 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

1 March 2018 at 00:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Ocean City, Maryland, United States

Nearest airport

Ocean City Muni (OXB)

Coordinates

38.2881, -75.0919

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N615JA

Category

Airplane

Year built

2007

Engines

1

Operator

Middle River Aviation LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Baltimore → Ocean City

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

ERA18LA094

2 people died.

The pilot's flight in dark night visual meteorological conditions, which resulted in an impact with water for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.

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 rented the airplane on the day of the accident for a night visual flight rules cross-country flight in visual meteorological conditions. A review of radar track data showed that the airplane initiated a descent from 3,500 ft mean sea level (msl) about 15 nautical miles (nm) from the destination airport; the last recorded radar track data showed the airplane at an altitude of 1,350 ft msl about 3 nm from the destination airport. The airplane was reported missing the following morning, and an oil slick was subsequently discovered about 2 miles from the end of the runway at the destination airport. Divers located the wreckage; however, it was not recovered, and an examination of the airplane could not be performed. Sun and moon data revealed that the moon was 98% illuminated about 45 degrees above the horizon to the east about the time of the accident; however, overcast clouds would have obscured its illumination. The dark night conditions combined with a an approach to the airport over water would have increased the difficulty associated with the tasks of maintaining aircraft attitude control and maintaining awareness of the airplane's height above the water while maneuvering to land. It is likely that the pilot either lost control due to spatial disorientation or inadvertently descended into the water; however, without track information from the final moments of the flight, there is insufficient information from which to determine which scenario was more likely involved in the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.