BURNET, TX, USA
N5253K
CESSNA 172P
THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT WAS ADVISED BEFORE DEPARTING ON A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT THAT VFR FLIGHT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED. HE DEPARTED WITHOUT FILING A FLIGHT PLAN. BEFORE REACHING AN INTERMEDIATE STOP, HE OBTAINED AN UPDATED WEATHER BRIEFING FOR THE LOCAL AREA AND HIS FINAL DESTINATION. AFTER REFUELING, HE TOOK OFF AND PROCEEDED TOWARD HIS DESTINATION WHICH WAS APRX 156 NM TO THE EAST. A LARGE SLOW MOVING FRONTAL SYSTEM WAS POSITIONED OVER NORTHCENTRAL TEXAS AT THE TIME. THE PILOT'S ROUTE OF FLIGHT WAS ALONG THE SOUTHERN BOUNDARY OF THE FRONT. LIGHT DRIZZLE, FOG, AND LOW CEILINGS EXISTED ALONG THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRPLANE ENTERED A DESCENT & CRASHED APRX 63 MI SOUTHWEST OF THE DESTINATION AIRPORT AFTER ABOUT 3 HRS & 20 MINUTES OF FLIGHT. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE AIRPLANE WAS FOUND, THOUGH IT WAS BADLY DAMAGED DURING IMPACT. SEVERAL LOCAL PEOPLE STATED THERE WAS LOW CEILINGS, FOG AND DRIZZLE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
CONTINUED VFR FLIGHT BY THE PILOT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC), AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT, DUE TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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