- Date
- March 21, 1992, 21:45 local (Mar 22, 1992, 02:45 UTC)
- Place
- Barnwell, SC
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 3 uninjured; on the ground: 1 fatal
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Other
- Aircraft
- N5441BCessna 182
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report October 8, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920321006969A
- Case key
- 8576
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain a safe altitude above the ground while making a low pass at night.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot had taken a newlywed couple up on a ceremonial 'mile high' local pleasure flight as a wedding gift. He reported that during a maneuver he felt a 'shudder', and elected to make a low pass over an airport taxiway, by some friends on the ground with a hand-held radio, for a 'landing gear check'. During the second pass the pilot asked the couple to 'look to the right where the moon shines over Barnwell.' The airplane collided with a spectator on the taxiway. A pax stated that the pilot then 'freaked out' and was in no condition to fly the airplane. During a subsequent landing attempt, a pax prevented a go-around by forcing the yoke forward and pushing on the brake pedals with his hands. The pax stated the pilot 'wanted to keep flying and he was going nuts.' The pilot fled the scene after the accident but returned later. The pilot had arranged to have the people on the ground 'moon' the airplane during the low pass.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5441B
- Reported as
- Cessna 182
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 33441
- Airframe hours
- 4,457
- Engine
- Continental O-470, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Vikings Of Denmark, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Vikings Of Denmark, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 3, 1991 · 100 hours before
- Airport
- BNL · Barnwell County
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 36
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 7,722 total · 2,903 in this make and model · 5,311 as pilot in command · 40 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 230° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- AGS, 30 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.