# Accident 20210306008589A: Aviat Aircraft Inc A-1B, Berwyn, NE, March 6, 2021 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: March 6, 2021, 07:15 local time - Place: Berwyn, NE - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Maneuver - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 41.1965° N, 99.4836° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.1965&lon=-99.4836&mi=10 - Aircraft: N166WW, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N166WW) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Aviat A-1B (registry code 2210406, https://openairdocs.org/model/aviat-a-1b) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1D6 (registry code 41822, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-360-a1d6) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AVIAT AIRCRAFT INC A-1B - Reported engine: LYCOMING IO-360-A1D6 - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 1 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Private pilot - NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN21FA150](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21FA150) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210306008589A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. -A&P/IA CALLED THE SHERIFF AND FAMILY, CONCERNED THAT PILOT DIDN?T SHOW UP AROUND 0900 AT DESTINATION, SATURDAY MARCH 6TH, TO BEGIN ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ANNUAL INSPECTION. WIFE STATED SHE WATCHED HIM TAKE OFF AROUND 0630 FROM THEIR PRIVATE GRASS STRIP. PILOT'S SON STATED HE HEARD HIS FATHER FLY OVER HIS HOUSE WHEN HE DEPARTED THAT MORNING, AROUND THE SAME TIME. - THE AIRCRAFT FIRST SHOWED UP ON RADAR AT 0654, SOUTH OF THE ADDRESS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, HEADING WEST. RADAR DATA THEN SHOWS AIRCRAFT HEADING IN A GENERALLY WESTERLY DIRECTION WITH SOME MANEUVERING. AT 0706, AIRCRAFT HEADS SOUTH, AND THEN PERFORMS ONE ORBIT JUST WEST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, FOLLOWED BY A COUPLE ?S TURNS? BACK IN THE EASTERLY DIRECTION, UNTIL RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST AT 0709. ACCIDENT SITE IS APPROXIMATELY 30 MILES WSW OF TAKEOFF POINT. -AIRCRAFT MADE AN INITIAL IMPACT APPROXIMATELY 30 FEET LONG, WHICH APPEARS TO BE FROM THE RIGHT WING TIP, FOLLOWED BY PROP/COWLING IMPACT. EVIDENCE OF AT LEAST PARTIAL POWER FROM 2 PROP STRIKES APPROXIMATELY 36 INCHES APART, JUST PRIOR TO MAIN COWLING IMPACT POINT. BOTH PROPELLERS BROKE OFF FROM THE SPINNER, ONE REMAINED PARTIALLY BURIED IN STRIKE ZONE, THE SECOND WAS THROWN APPROXIMATELY 25 FEET INTO THE SIDE OF A WASHOUT IMMEDIATELY IN FRONT OF IMPACT AREA. IMPACT AREA WAS APPROXIMATELY 8 FEET LONG BY 3 FEET WIDE. THIS IMPACT POINT WAS AT THE TOP EDGE OF A RAVINE, AT WHICH POINT THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED AIRBORNE, BUT CONTINUED TO LEAVE A TRAIL OF DEBRIS. THE AIRCRAFT THEN STRUCK THE TOP OF A TREE WHICH WAS APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET INTO THE CANYON AND 25 FEET HIGH, WITH EVIDENCE OF FRESHLY BROKEN BRANCHES AT THE TOP OF THE TREE, WHICH WAS DIRECTLY IN LINE WITH THE PATH OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT THEN IMPACTED THE GROUND APPROXIMATELY 40 FEET PAST THE TREE, AND 2/3 OF THE WAY ACROSS THE CANYON FLOOR. POST IMPACT FIRE CONSUMED THE AIRCRAFT, PILOT, AND GRASSY AREA AROUND THE IMPACT SITE, AS WELL AS UP THE SIDE OF THE CANYON WALL ON THE SIDE OF INITIAL IMPACT. -THE CANYON WHERE THE AIRCRAFT ENDED UP, RAN EAST/WEST AND WAS APPROXIMATELY 200-250 FEET ACROSS WITH SIDES APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET HIGH, DOWN SLOPING TO THE WEST. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON A HEADING OF 143 DEGREES BASED ON INITIAL IMPACT SCARS AND DIRECTION OF WRECKAGE PAST INITIAL IMPACT POINT. -PILOT REMAINED IN SEAT, WHICH WAS SEPARATED FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE, ABOUT 10 FEET AND AT THE 10 O'CLOCK POSITION FROM DIRECTION OF TRAVEL. ENGINE ENDED UP APPROXIMATELY 12 FEET PAST MAIN FUSELAGE RESTING POINT. INSTRUMENTS AND ENGINE PARTS WERE THROWN FURTHER UP THE CANYON IN A DIRECTION BETWEEN 10 O?CLOCK AND 12 O?CLOCK FROM THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL. -RIGHT MAIN GEAR WAS FOUND APPROXIMATELY 150 FEET PAST WRECKAGE, UP AND OVER THE FAR CANYON WALL AND TREES. SECOND MAIN TIRE WAS FOUND APPROXIMATELY 200 YARDS DOWN THE CANYON, TO THE SW, HAVING BROKEN FROM THE AXEL. -RIGHT WING WAS CRUSHED UNDER FUSELAGE, LEFT WING WAS LYING TO THE RIGHT OF THE FUSELAGE INVERTED, WITH THE LEADING EDGE IN DIRECTION OF FLIGHT. BOTH FUEL TAKES WERE SEPARATED FROM MAIN WRECKAGE, ONE ON THE RIGHT AND ONE ON THE LEFT, APPROXIMATELY 20 FEET AWAY FROM MAIN WRECKAGE. REAR EMPENNAGE WAS FOLDED OVER ON TOP OF FUSELAGE. -A&P/IA DID MENTION THAT PILOT STATED THE AIRCRAFT WAS HAVING INTERMITTENT OIL PRESSURE INDICATIONS (NOT REPORTED AT TIME OF ACCIDENT), AND THEY WERE PLANNING ON REPLACING THE TRANSDUCER DURING THIS ANNUAL. ADDITIONALLY, HE STATED THE ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS DUE TO EXPIRE AT THE END OF MARCH 2021. A&P/IA ALSO STATED THE AIRCRAFT WAS METICULOUSLY MAINTAINED^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ---------------------------------------------- DUE TO 4000 CHARACTER LIMIT, CONTINUED IN BLOCK 43. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB CEN21FA150](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21FA150), Mar 6, 2021: Aviat A-1B (N166WW), Berwyn, NE, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: A loss of control and subsequent impact with terrain as a result of spatial disorientation during cruise in dark night conditions. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.