OCALA, FL, USA
N5324M
CESSNA 152
STUDENT PILOT RECEIVED AN IN-PERSON WEATHER BRIEFING AT THE FAA FSS AT 0919 FOR A VFR CROSS COUNTRY-FLIGHT TO AN ARPT 70 MILES NORTH OF HIS DEPARTURE POINT. VFR CONDITIONS WERE FORECAST ALONG THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT. AT 1014, THE STUDENT'S FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR FILED A VFR FLIGHT PLAN BUT DID NOT REQUEST UPDATED WEATHER INFORMATION. AT 1117, THE STUDENT DEPARTED. AT ABOUT 1200, THE STUDENT WAS OBSERVED TO MAKE A TOUCH-AND-GO AT THE DEST ARPT AND DEPART TO THE SOUTH. AFTER THIS, SEVERAL WITNESSES OVERHEARD AN UNIDENTIFIED ACFT TALKING ON THE DEST ARPT UNICOM FREQUENCY TO A PILOT WHO WAS LOST IN RAIN SHOWERS. THE LOST PILOT HAD A FOREIGN ACCENT AS DID THE STUDENT IN N5324M. AT 1500, THE WRECKAGE OF N5324M WAS LOCATED NEAR OCALA, FLORIDA, 7 NAUTICAL MILES NORTHEAST OF THE DESTINATION AIRPORT. THE ACFT'S HOBBS METER INDICATED THE ACFT HAD FLOWN 1 HOUR SINCE DEPARTURE. THE WEATHER AT OCALA AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS IN RAIN SHOWERS, LOW CEILINGS AND VISIBILITY. EXAMINATION OF THE ACFT AFTER THE ACCIDENT REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE ACFT STRUCTURE, FLIGHT CONTROLS, OR ENGINE. AFTER THE STUDENT RECEIVED HIS WEATHER BRIEFING AT 0915, AN AREA OF UNFORECAST SHOWERS DEVELOPED TO THE NORTH OF HIS DEST ARPT.
THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND BECOMING LOST AND DISORIENTED AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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