- Date
- August 5, 1990, 14:37 local (18:37 UTC)
- Place
- Hyden, KY
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4728ACessna A152
- Weather
- Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 6, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900805042979A
- Case key
- 11611
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 intentionally continuing VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions which resulted in spatial disorientation and loss of aircraft control. Factors contributing to the accident were the thunderstorms and the pilot's lack of instrument flying proficiency.
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 received a wx briefing from duats; he was assisted by a CFI. Forecasts were for a chance of thunderstorms, mountain obscurations, and IFR conditions in Kentucky. For about the last 30 minutes, en route and nearing his destination, the pilot was receiving ATC assistance to avoid wx painted on ATC radar. At 1437 the pilot radioed '...it's raining on me heavily over here.' The controller asked if the pilot could maintain VFR, and the pilot answered in the affirmative. There were no further transmissions received from the pilot.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4728A
- Reported as
- Cessna A152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- A1520883
- Airframe hours
- 2,700
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Bob Jones University
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 5, 1990 · 109 hours before
- Departed
- GMV · Greenville, SC
- Destination
- LOZ · London, KY
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 21
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Unknown
- Flight hours
- 72 total · 55 in this make and model · 34 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Day
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.