Piper PA-32-260 N3952W accident near Fostoria, Ohio

Probable cause

The pilot’s loss of airplane control in night instrument meteorological conditions during the procedure turn of an instrument approach due to spatial disorientation, which resulted in a collision with terrain.

NTSB analysis

The pilot was conducting a night cross-country flight in instrument meteorological conditions. After passing the initial approach fix (IAF) for the RNAV (GPS) instrument approach at the destination airport, the airplane made about a 30° left turn, consistent with a teardrop entry into the procedure turn. The track data showed the airplane aligned with the outbound side of the holding pattern for about a mile before turning left again. As the airplane flew north of the published hold in its final minute of flight its altitude decreased from about 3,000 ft to about 2,600 ft before climbing back to about 3,000 ft and about 4 nautical miles (nm) from the initial approach fix (IAF), the airplane turned right, and descended rapidly in a spiral. The airplane traveled through heavily forested terrain and was highly fragmented.

A witness who was inside a residence described hearing an airplane at a low altitude near the house. The witness described the noise as a loud or high pitch engine followed by silence. Another nearby witness saw the lights of the airplane but did not hear anything because they were in a car with the radio on. The witness stated the airplane was between 300 and 500 ft above ground level (agl). When they lost sight of the airplane as it descended behind houses, they estimated the altitude between 150 and 250 ft agl.

A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

The pilot’s toxicology results revealed that sedating antihistamines diphenhydramine and doxylamine were present in tissue samples. It is possible that the combined effects of those drugs might have increased the pilot’s susceptibility to spatial disorientation. However, the diphenhydramine and doxylamine results in tissue cannot be used to establish whether the drugs contributed to spatial disorientation or were otherwise impairing the pilot at the time of the accident.

Based upon the wreckage fragmentation, which was consistent with a high-speed impact, the constant descending turn and IMC, it is likely that the accident pilot experienced spatial disorientation and lost airplane control.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN22FA131 for the full record.