Gladewater, TX, USA
N8641T
Cessna 182
The non-instrument rated private pilot was practicing maneuvers with broken cloud conditions. She allowed the airplane to ascend into a "hazy area and noticed clouds were beginning to close around me." She added that she flew the airplane toward a "hole to descend through the clouds. [The] haze increased and [she] continued towards the opening but wound up in a cloud." She stated that she immediately experienced "vertigo and got into [an] unusual attitude." During the unusual attitude recovery, the front windshield and right rear windshield separated from the airplane. The pilot then made an uneventful landing. Examination of the airplane revealed structural damage to the wings, wing struts, and horizontal stabilizer.
On June 29, 2001, at 1600 central daylight time, a Cessna 182 airplane, N8641T, sustained substantial damage upon recovery from an unusual attitude near Gladewater, Texas. The non-instrument rated private pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured. The aircraft was registered to TLM Properties LLC, of Gladewater, Texas, and was operated by the pilot. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The local flight departed at 1520. According to the pilot's written statement, she was practicing maneuvers with broken cloud conditions. She allowed the airplane to ascend into a "hazy area and noticed clouds were beginning to close around me." She added that she flew the airplane toward a "hole to descend through the clouds. [The] haze increased and [she] continued towards the opening but wound up in a cloud." She stated that she immediately experienced "vertigo and got into [an] unusual attitude." During the unusual attitude recovery, the front windshield and right rear windshield separated from the airplane. The pilot then made an uneventful landing. According to the insurance adjuster's mechanic, the wings, wing struts, and horizontal stabilizer sustained structural damage. The NTSB was not notified of this accident until August 29, 2001.
the pilot's inadvertent visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions while maneuvering, which resulted in her spatial disorientation and subsequent loss of control of the airplane.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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