ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 35220
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| Date: | Thursday 12 May 1994 |
| Time: | 08:25 LT |
| Type: |  Mooney M20K |
| Owner/operator: | Reeds, John W |
| Registration: | N231WD |
| MSN: | 25-0765 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 1128 hours |
| Engine model: | CONTINENTAL TSIO-360-GB |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Ventura, CA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Camarillo, CA (KCMA) |
| Sedona, AZ (KSDZ) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
THE PILOTS DEPARTED ON AN IFR FLIGHT WITH CLEARANCE TO CLIMB TO VFR CONDITIONS ON TOP. THE TOPS OF THE CLOUDS WERE REPORTED AT 2500 FEET. THE PERSON IN THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT HELD AN INSTRUMENT RATING AND WAS PRESUMED TO BE THE FIRST PILOT (PIC). THE PERSON IN THE LEFT FRONT SEAT WAS ALSO A PILOT, BUT DID NOT POSSESS AN INSTRUMENT RATING. THE AIRPLANE WAS EQUIPPED WITH A SINGLE SET OF FLIGHT INSTRUMENTS IN FRONT OF THE LEFT SEAT. ACCORDING TO RECORDED RADAR DATA, THE AIRPLANE DID NOT REACH AN ALTITUDE WHERE VFR CONDITIONS WERE REPORTED. AT ABOUT 2300 TO 2400 FEET MSL, THE AIRPLANE ENTERED A DESCENT, THEN RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST. WITNESSES HEARD AND SAW THE AIRPLANE IN A STEEP DIVE AS IT DESCENDED BELOW THE ESTIMATED 500-FOOT OVERCAST. NO PREIMPACT MECHANICAL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE AIRPLANE WAS FOUND.
Probable Cause: FAILURE OF THE FLIGHT CREW TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC), DUE TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: THE FIRST PILOT'S OVERCONFIDENCE IN HIS ABILITY TO ASSURE CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE FROM THE RIGHT SEAT BY REFERENCE TO THE INSTRUMENTS LOCATED IN FRONT OF THE LEFT SEAT.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB LAX94FA217
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 10-Apr-2024 07:36 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report] |
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