Incident Overview
Date: Wednesday 23 October 2002
Aircraft Type: Cessna 208B Super Cargomaster
Owner/operator: Mid-Atlantic Freight
Registration Number: N76U
Location: 8 km NW of Spanish Fort, AL –
ÿ United States of America
Phase of Flight: En route
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Component Affected: Airplane control system (specifically, spatial disorientation).Airplane control system (specifically, spatial disorientation).
Investigating Agency: NTSBNTSB
Category: Accident
A Cessna aircraft, carrying bank checks, deviated from its planned flight path to Montgomery (MGM) at 3000 feet due to spatial disorientation, resulting in an uncontrolled descent and impact with swampy water. The pilot reported encountering a FedEx DC-10, which was above him, prompting a need for a deviation.A Cessna aircraft, carrying bank checks, deviated from its planned flight path to Montgomery (MGM) at 3000 feet due to spatial disorientation, resulting in an uncontrolled descent and impact with swampy water. The pilot reported encountering a FedEx DC-10, which was above him, prompting a need for a deviation.
Description
The Cessna, carrying bank checks, departed Mobile (BFM) at 19:40 on an instrument flight to Montgomery (MGM). At an altitude of 3000 feet the pilot was given a traffic advisory by air traffic control. The pilot reported that the traffic, a FedEx DC-10, was above him. At the time the pilot stated that he needed to deviate, data indicate that the accident airplane was in or entering an uncontrolled descent. The airplane appeared to have nearly recovered from extreme attitudes as it impacted the swampy water in the Big Bateau Bay. PROBABLE CAUSE: “The pilot’s spatial disorientation, which resulted in loss of airplane control. Contributing to the accident was the night instrument meteorological conditions with variable cloud layers.”
Primary Cause
Spatial disorientation leading to loss of airplane control.Spatial disorientation leading to loss of airplane control.Share on:
