- Date
- February 7, 1992, 22:44 local (Feb 8, 1992, 03:44 UTC)
- Place
- Fernandina Bch, FL
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8346BPiper PA-28-161
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report June 11, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920207002459A
- Case key
- 33061
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
Spatial disorientation and failure of the pilot-in-command to set the altimeter to the field elevation prior to departure. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of total and recent experience.
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 student plt did not set the altimeter to the field elevation before departure. The flt departed, flew south along the coast at an indicated altitude of 500 ft, then turned lt to return, flying toward the atlantic ocean. While turning, the airplane began descending which the pilot attempted to correct by applying power, but the airplane impacted the water. The pilot further stated that the altimeter indicated 400 feet at impact. According to the owner of the airplane, the pilot had not received instruction in night flying, did not have permission to fly the airplane, nor had he received training in this make and model airplane. The pilot further stated that he had not flown in the previous 6 months.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8346B
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-8116171
- Airframe hours
- 6,500
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D3G, 161 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Island Aviation Services, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Island Aviation Services, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 31, 1991 · 50 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
- 20
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 15 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 260° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- JAX, 13 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.