Date:	Tuesday 15 January 2013
Time:	19:58
Type:	Cessna 208B Super Cargomaster
Owner/operator:	Martinaire
Registration:	N1120N
MSN:	208B0386
Year of manufacture:	1994
Total airframe hrs:	10132 hours
Engine model:	Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-114A
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed, written off
Category:	Accident
Location:	2,5 km W of Pellston Regional Airport, MI (PLN) -   United States of America
Phase:	Initial climb
Nature:	Cargo
Departure airport:	Pellston Regional Airport, MI (PLN/KPLN)
Destination airport:	Lansing-Capital City Airport, MI (LAN/KLAN)
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
A Cessna 208B Cargomaster, N1120N, crashed shortly after takeoff from Pellston Regional Airport, MI (PLN). It came down in a wooded area, killing the pilot.
The pilot had flown from Sault Ste. Marie-Chippewa County Airport, MI (CIU) and landed at Pellston to refuel the airplane and pick up 570 pounds of cargo. After the airplane was refueled and the cargo was loaded, the pilot taxied to runway 23 and departed. The airplane entered a right bank almost immediately after takeoff, and climbed to an altitude of about 260 feet above ground level (AGL) before it began to descend. The airplane impacted trees and came to rest in a heavily wooded area.
There was no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The pilot's inadvertent controlled descent into terrain due to spatial disorientation. Contributing to the accident was lack of visual reference due to night conditions."

01:54 UTC / 21:54 local time:
KPLN 160154Z AUTO 21012G17KT 10SM OVC050 M03/M08 A3010 RMK AO2 SLP207 T10331083

02:54 UTC / 22:54 local time:
KPLN 160254Z AUTO 18007KT 10SM OVC050 M03/M08 A3007 RMK AO2 SLP199 T10331083 58022
Wind 180 degrees at 7 knots; Visibility: 10 or more miles; overcast cloud deck at 5000 feet AGL; Temperature: -3°C; Dewpoint: -8°C; Pressure 1018.4 mb

23:54 UTC / 20:54 local time:
KPLN 152354Z AUTO 21010G16KT 10SM BKN036 BKN048 OVC055 M03/M09 A3014 RMK AO2 SNE2257 SLP223 P0000 60000

FAA
Flightaware
upnorthlive.com
NTSB

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