- Date
- October 26, 1991, 19:59 local (23:59 UTC)
- Place
- Valkaria, FL
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N24431Cessna 152
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report April 27, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911026048049A
- Case key
- 32970
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-in-command's failure to maintain altitude while maneuvering. This resulted in the pilot becoming spatially disoriented and an in-flight collision with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to operate the airplane with known deficiencies.
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 departed VFR at night with known equipment deficiencies (inoperative landing and instrument panel lights). Witnesses reported broken sky condition with low level of ambient light and no visible horizon. The pilot stated after takeoff he was attempting to maintain visual reference with another airplane that departed ahead of him, when he became spatially disoriented. This resulted in an unnoticed loss of altitude in a turn and an in-flight collision with terrain.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N24431
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15280256
- Airframe hours
- 5,881
- Engine
- Lycoming 0235L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Silver Express
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 29, 1991 · 73 hours before
- Departed
- X59 · Valkaria, FL
- Destination
- VRB · Vero Beach, 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
- 40
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 241 total · 22 in this make and model · 161 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 70° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MLB, 5 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.