- Date
- August 19, 1990, 22:00 local (Aug 20, 1990, 02:00 UTC)
- Place
- Onancock, VA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6599RCessna 172RG
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report December 30, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900819034289A
- Case key
- 11531
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 inflight loss of control because the pilot experienced spatial disorientation. Other factors related to the accident are VFR flight into IMC, night conditions.
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 non-instrument rated plt was on a night VFR flight when the acft crashed into the chesapeake bay in a steep nose-down attitude. Witnesses who heard the crash reported the weather was cloudy, although the weather 35 miles north of the accident site was reported as clear. The investigation did not disclose evidence of aircraft mechanical malfunction. The plt was seated in the right seat. Although he was not a CFI, he logged 44 hours of instructional time.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6599R
- Reported as
- Cessna 172RG
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172RG0205
- Airframe hours
- 3,480
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-FIA6, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Ulf D. Uhlig
- Registered owner
- World A/C Sales And Leasing
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 20, 1990 · 0 hours before
- Departed
- RZZ · Roanoke Rapids, NC
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
- 44
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 293 total · 11 in this make and model · 217 as pilot in command · 23 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 190° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PHF
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.