- Date
- March 2, 1989, 22:24 local (Mar 3, 1989, 04:24 UTC)
- Place
- Robstown, TX
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N735EZCessna 182
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report July 9, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890302002929A
- Case key
- 22843
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 delayed flight to an alternate destination, continued flight into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), experienced spatial disorientation, and lost control of the aircraft. Contributing factors were: the pilot's inadequate preflight planning/preparation, his lack of instrument experience, dark night, and weather 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 plt contacted apch control & rprtd he was vfr-on-top with a low fuel condition. He was radar vectored to the nearest airport. The non-instrument rated plt dscndd & rprtd he had the arpt in sight, but only intermittently thru the clouds & fog. Subsequently, the acft crashed near the arpt. Aprx 750 lbs of marijuana was found aboard the acft. No preimpact part failure or malfunction of the acft or eng was found drg the investigation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N735EZ
- Reported as
- Cessna 182
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18265378
- Engine
- Continental O-470-U, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Hampton Inns Developement Corp
- Registered owner
- Hampton Inns Devel. Corp.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Airport
- T53 · Nueges County
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
- 40
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,500 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 110° at 8 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- 200 ft
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CRP, 10 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.
Other investigations on N735EZ · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.