- Date
- December 13, 1991, 09:04 local (14:04 UTC)
- Place
- Naples, FL
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N49278Cessna 152
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 27, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911213056259A
- Case key
- 32971
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 incapacitation due to an undetermined cardiovascular event which resulted in an uncontrolled descent into the ground.
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
Acft was observed flying westbound at point it would enter traffic pattern on downwind leg. The acft suddenly nosed over, rotated to the left slightly, and impacted the ground in a near vertical descent. Cut trees indicated impact speed near 145 knots. No evidence of failure or malfunction of acft structure, flight controls , or engine were found. No evidence of inflight collision with objects was noted. Post mortem examination of the 78-year-OLD pilot indicated he had arteriosclerotic heart disease.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N49278
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15281219
- Airframe hours
- 2,180
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 118 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Bruce R. Suiter
- Registered owner
- Bruce R. Suiter
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 11, 1991 · 62 hours before
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
- 78
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,145 total · 825 in this make and model · 1,120 as pilot in command · 29 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- APF, 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.