FALMOUTH, KY, USA
N194S
CESSNA 340
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.
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.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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