- Date
- August 7, 1992, 21:50 local (Aug 8, 1992, 01:50 UTC)
- Place
- Falmouth, KY
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N194SCessna 340
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report May 26, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920807029709A
- Case key
- 37068
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 improper decision by the non-instrument-rated pilot to attempt VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions resulting in a loss of airplane control and subsequent inadvertent spiral and collision with the ground. Factors related to the accident were: the pilot's lack of total flight experience; the pilot's lack of flight time in this make and model airplane; and his overconfidence in his own ability.
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 airplane was cruising at 16,500 feet at night when radar and radio contact were lost. The pilot made no distress radio calls. Recorded radar data showed the airplane in a left descending turn. Other airplanes were deviating around weather in the area. Ground witnesses heard the airplane prior to impact and reported rain. The pilot started flying lessons in March and received his multi-engine rating in June. He had a total of 142 hours flight time, with 25 hours in this make and model airplane and 9 hours total night time. The pilot was not instrument rated.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N194S
- Reported as
- Cessna 340
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 3400167
- Airframe hours
- 2,762
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520-K, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Marketplace America, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Marketplace America, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 1992 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- MCN · Macon, GA
- Destination
- GRR · Grand Rapids, MI
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
- 48
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 142 total · 25 in this make and model · 76 as pilot in command · 95 in the last 90 days · 58 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.