- Date
- September 8, 1990, 22:18 local (Sep 9, 1990, 02:18 UTC)
- Place
- Evington, VA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4944HCessna 182R
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report December 14, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900908038409A
- Case key
- 11532
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 control of the aircraft because of spatial disorientation. A contributing cause is failure of the vacuum system.
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 acft was en route IFR at 6000 ft MSL when the plt asked ATC for the cloud base height and then shortly afterwards he reported malfunction of the attitude indicator. The plt also stated 'all vacuum pumps are lost.' The plt later indicated he was unaware of his attitude. Withnesses reported the acft descended in a nose down and steep bank attitude before it crashed. Witnesses reported fog and rain at the crash. The acft disintegrated on impact and was scattered about 105 ft. the investigation revealed the acft flightpath at impact was 45 degrees down. Examination of the vacuum pump did not reveal evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunction.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4944H
- Reported as
- Cessna 182R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18267855
- Airframe hours
- 1,400
- Engine
- Continental O-470, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Shelby Aviation, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Shelby Aviation, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 29, 1990 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- CHO · Charlottesville, VA
- Destination
- SPA · Spartanburg, VA
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 39
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 2,200 total · 1,500 as pilot in command · 200 in the last 90 days · 80 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 40° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,300 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.10 inHg
- Observed at
- LYH, 8 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.