- Date
- June 29, 2001, 16:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Gladewater, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8641TCessna 182
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 20, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20010629033559A
- Case key
- 53444
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 inadvertent visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions while maneuvering, which resulted in her spatial disorientation and subsequent loss of control of the airplane.
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 private pilot was practicing maneuvers with broken cloud conditions. She allowed the airplane to ascend into a "hazy area and noticed clouds were beginning to close around me." She added that she flew the airplane toward a "hole to descend through the clouds. [The] haze increased and [she] continued towards the opening but wound up in a cloud." She stated that she immediately experienced "vertigo and got into [an] unusual attitude." During the unusual attitude recovery, the front windshield and right rear windshield separated from the airplane. The pilot then made an uneventful landing. Examination of the airplane revealed structural damage to the wings, wing struts, and horizontal stabilizer.
Factual narrative
On June 29, 2001, at 1600 central daylight time, a Cessna 182 airplane, N8641T, sustained substantial damage upon recovery from an unusual attitude near Gladewater, Texas. The non-instrument rated private pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured. The aircraft was registered to TLM Properties LLC, of Gladewater, Texas, and was operated by the pilot. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The local flight departed at 1520.
According to the pilot's written statement, she was practicing maneuvers with broken cloud conditions. She allowed the airplane to ascend into a "hazy area and noticed clouds were beginning to close around me." She added that she flew the airplane toward a "hole to descend through the clouds. [The] haze increased and [she] continued towards the opening but wound up in a cloud." She stated that she immediately experienced "vertigo and got into [an] unusual attitude." During the unusual attitude recovery, the front windshield and right rear windshield separated from the airplane. The pilot then made an uneventful landing.
According to the insurance adjuster's mechanic, the wings, wing struts, and horizontal stabilizer sustained structural damage. The NTSB was not notified of this accident until August 29, 2001.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8641T
- Reported as
- Cessna 182
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 52541
- Airframe hours
- 6,275.5
- Engine
- Continental IO-470-R, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Mary J. Todd
- Registered owner
- TLM Properties LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 27, 2001 · 30 hours before
- Departed
- 07F · Gladewater, TX
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
- 41
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- February 1, 2000
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 380 total · 300 in this make and model · 320 as pilot in command · 55 in the last 90 days · 27 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Temperature
- 90 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.