- Date
- October 15, 1990, 20:30 local (Oct 16, 1990, 00:30 UTC)
- Place
- Everglades City, FL
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N143FTPiper PA-28-161
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report November 23, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19901015046329A
- Case key
- 32733
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 altitude and his spatial disorientation during a night takeoff over water.
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 noninstrument rated private plt departed on a night VFR flight from a sparsely populated airfield over water. VFR conditions existed, however no natural horizon or surface reference was available. The elevation of the moon was -43.7 degrees with 7% illumination. No flight plan was filed. Witnesses observed the airplane climb to 125-300 feet AGL on a right crosswind departure and level off. The airplane made a left turn descending in a 20 degree nose-down attitude, right wing low, with the engine running and collided with the water.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N143FT
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-8216193
- Airframe hours
- 6,202
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D3G, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Naples Air Center, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Naples Air Center Inc.
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 15, 1990 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- X01 · Everglades City, FL
- Destination
- APF · Naples, FL
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
- 29
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 136 total · 9 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 320° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- APF, 30 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.