ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 221437
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| Date: | Friday 1 February 2019 |
| Time: | 14:15 LT |
| Type: |  Piper PA-32RT-300 Lance II |
| Owner/operator: | Simmons Pet Properties LLC |
| Registration: | N3016L |
| MSN: | 32R-7985068 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1979 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 3846 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoiming IO-540-K1G5D |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Atlantic Ocean offshore of West Palm Beach, FL -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Palm Beach-Palm Beach County Airport, FL (LNA/KLNA) |
| Marsh Harbour-Leonard M. Thompson International Airport (MHH/MYAM) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot departed under visual flight rules before obtaining an instrument flight rules (IFR) clearance from air traffic control into an area of moderate rain showers and thunderstorms over the open ocean. A review of radar and voice communication data revealed the pilot struggled to maintain assigned headings throughout the duration of the flight. When queried by air traffic control, the pilot stated that the wind was "squirrely," and later stated that the heading deviations were the result of autopilot and instrument issues; however, the pilot declared that he was "fine" and declined offers of assistance from air traffic control. The directional changes became increasingly divergent until the radar track depicted a rapid, tightening, descending right turn, during which radar contact was lost. The wreckage was not located after the accident despite a search undertaken by air and sea assets, thus the wreckage could not be examined.
The precipitation and restricted visibility conditions present in the area at the time of the accident were conducive to the development of spatial disorientation. The airplane's erratic flight track, which included directional changes inconsistent with progress toward the destination, and the rapidly descending right turn depicted on radar are consistent with the known effects of spatial disorientation. It is likely that the pilot's decision to initiate the flight into an area of restricted visibility and thunderstorms resulted in his loss of airplane control due to spatial disorientation.
Probable Cause: The pilot's loss of control due to spatial disorientation.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
FAA register: https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=N3016L%20
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N3016L/history/20190201/1645Z/KLNA/MYAM
NTSB ERA19LA093
Location
Media:
Coast Guard to search through night for plane that crashed in ocean off Palm Beach County https://t.co/IViLPSC72X pic.twitter.com/ShPE3BGXuQ
— South Florida Sun Sentinel (@SunSentinel) 2 février 2019
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 01-Feb-2019 22:13 | Geno | Added |
| 01-Feb-2019 22:33 | Geno | Updated [Phase, Source, Narrative] |
| 01-Feb-2019 22:57 | RobertMB | Updated [Aircraft type] |
| 02-Feb-2019 11:10 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Total fatalities, Source, Embed code] |
| 05-Feb-2019 16:03 | gerard57 | Updated [Total fatalities, Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 05-Feb-2019 21:00 | Captain Adam | Updated [Total fatalities, Embed code, Damage, Narrative] |
| 31-Mar-2021 13:52 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Other fatalities, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative, Category, Accident report] |
| 31-Mar-2021 14:08 | harro | Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
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