Piper PA 28-180 N57WV accident near Cornelia, Georgia

Probable cause

The pilot's decision to initiate the flight into known adverse weather conditions, which resulted in his spatial disorientation and loss of airplane control.

NTSB analysis

The private pilot was conducting a visual flight rules (VFR) personal cross-country flight at night with two passengers on board. The pilot landed the airplane along his route to refuel. The airport manager reported that the airport's automated weather observation system was reporting 300 to 400 ft overcast ceilings. Further, one of the passengers sent a text message to someone waiting at their destination airport stating that they had to circle around the intermediary airport a couple of times to find a runway because it was "awful cloudy" and there was a "low ceiling." After refueling, the pilot departed despite the instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) that prevailed at both the intermediary airport and the destination airport. Although the pilot was instrument-rated, there was no evidence that he maintained his currency. Further, the pilot did not file and instrument flight rules flight plan. Radar data revealed that, as the airplane crossed over the destination airport, it began a left turn before disappearing from radar. Residents who lived near the airport reported hearing a "whirling" noise, followed by a loud crash. They stated that, when they went outside to see what happened, there was heavy fog and mist. At no time during the flight was the pilot communicating with air traffic control or receiving radar services.

The wreckage was located about 0.25 mile from the destination airport. Forward-to-aft crushing signatures to the wreckage, damage to adjacent trees, and the lack of a linear wreckage debris path was consistent with a near-vertical, nose-low attitude at impact. An examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any evidence of a preimpact anomaly or malfunction that would have precluded normal operation.

The conditions that existed during the flight, including dark night lighting conditions, low ceilings, and restricted visibility, were conducive to the development of spatial disorientation. Further, the airplane's near-vertical descent was consistent with the pilot's loss of control due to spatial disorientation. The pilot's decision to initiate the VFR flight into known IMC directly led to the accident.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA16FA032 for the full record.