- Date
- May 29, 2016, 19:15 local (23:15 UTC)
- Place
- Warner, NH
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N80RKAmerican Champion 7GCBC
- Defining event
- Maneuvering: VFR encounter with IMC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 27, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20160529025139A
- Case key
- 93275
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
An encounter with instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in the pilot's spatial disorientation and a loss of airplane control.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that he was conducting a local sightseeing flight in visual meteorological conditions when the airplane inadvertently entered instrument meteorological conditions. While maneuvering, he lost visual reference with the ground. The airplane entered a steep descending turn, and collided trees. Both wings separated from the airframe and the fuselage was crushed. Weather conditions reported at an airport that was located about 17 nautical miles from the accident site, included, overcast clouds at 1,100 feet above ground level. The elevation of the accident site was about 1,700 feet mean sea level. The pilot reported that he experienced no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he was conducting a local sightseeing flight in visual meteorological conditions when the airplane inadvertently entered instrument meteorological conditions. While maneuvering, he lost visual reference with the ground. The airplane entered a steep descending turn, and collided with trees. Both wings separated from the airframe and the fuselage was crushed. Weather conditions reported at an airport that was located about 17 nautical miles from the accident site, included, overcast clouds at 1,100 feet above ground level. The elevation of the accident site was about 1,700 feet mean sea level. The pilot reported that he experienced no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N80RK
- Reported as
- American Champion 7GCBC (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1226-96
- Built
- 1996
- Airframe hours
- 1,020
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 B2B, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 1, 2016 · 16 hours before
- Departed
- ME08 · Bingham, ME
- Destination
- CT24 · North Canaan, MA
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Handheld GPS
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
- 43
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 16, 2015
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 362 total · 290 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,100 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.19 inHg
- Observed at
- MHT, 31 nm away
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 27, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.5 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.