Cessna R172 N2583V

Summary

On 28 May 2019 at about 10:50 local time, a Cessna R172 registered N2583V, operated by Banman Henry K, was involved in an accident near Mertzon, Texas, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

28 May 2019 at 10:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Mertzon, Texas, United States

Coordinates

31.2597, -100.8200

Aircraft

Cessna R172

Registration

N2583V

Category

Airplane

Year built

1976

Engines

1

Operator

Banman Henry K

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Seminole → Sealy

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

CEN19FA155

1 person died.

The pilot's loss of control 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 departed on a visual flight rules cross-country flight in night conditions. He had attempted the flight the previous night but turned around because it was “too dark.” The pilot did not arrive at his destination as expected, and the accident site was subsequently located in a remote area, which would have been devoid of cultural lighting at the time of the accident. Examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of mechanical failure or malfunction that would have precluded normal operation of the airframe or engine. The pilot did not hold an instrument rating and his recent flight experience could not be determined. The pilot’s family indicated that he had not flown in “a couple of months” before the accident. The night conditions present at the time of the accident, the remote area in which the airplane was operating, and the pilot’s lack of an instrument rating were all conducive to the development of spatial disorientation. It is likely that the pilot became spatially disoriented during the flight, which resulted in a loss of control and impact with terrain.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.