OCHOPEE, FL, USA
N47009
CESSNA 152
THE PLT HAD RECEIVED HIS PRIVATE PLT CERTIFICATE 5 DAYS EARLIER. HE TOOK OFF WITH A FRIEND AT NIGHT FOR A FLT OVER THE EVERGLADES. WHEN OPERATIONS PERSONNEL REALIZED THE ACFT HAD NOT RETURNED, A SEARCH WAS INITIATED. ON 9/22/89, THE ACFT WAS FOUND WHERE IT HAD CRASHED IN THE EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THE ACFT HAD IMPACTED IN A SLIGHT NOSE DOWN, LEFT BANK ATTITUDE. IT WAS EXTENSIVELY DAMAGED DRG IMPACT & THE MAIN WRECKAGE TRAVELED ABOUT 120 YDS BEFORE COMING TO REST. BOTH PROP BLADES WERE CURLED & CONTAINED CHORDWISE SCRATCHES. NO PREIMPACT MECHANICAL PROBLEM WAS FOUND. THE PLT HAD LOGGED A TOTAL OF 4.2 HRS OF NIGHT TIME.
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE/CLEARANCE OVER THE TERRAIN. RELATED FACTORS WERE: DARK NIGHT, SPATIAL DISORIENTATION OF THE PILOT, AND HIS LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN THE TYPE OF OPERATION (NIGHT FLYING).
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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