ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 244384
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| Date: | Sunday 25 October 2020 |
| Time: | 08:37 |
| Type: |  Grumman American AA-5A Cheetah |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N26136 |
| MSN: | AA5A-0452 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1977 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 1502 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-320-E2G |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Woodbranch, TX -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | North Houston Airport, TX (9X1) |
| Liberty, TX | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot and passenger took off on a cross-country flight. Air Traffic Control (ATC) and Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) data showed that the pilot made a normal takeoff and climb to the south, and subsequent turn to the east. As the airplane climbed through 1,600 ft, the pilot established communications with the ATC controller and requested an IFR clearance to his destination airport. The ATC controller asked if they could maintain their own terrain and obstruction clearance until leaving 1,700 ft, to which the pilot responded in the affirmative. The ATC controller then cleared the pilot to his destination via radar vectors and instructed him to climb to 3,000 ft and fly a heading of 270°.
The airplane was in a left turn to a northeast heading when the ATC controller instructed the pilot to stop the turn and climb to 3,000 ft. The airplane climbed through 2,200 ft when the ATC controller advised the pilot of antennas in front of them and again instructed him to climb to 3,000 ft. However, the airplane climbed to 2,400 ft, continued to turn left, and then descended rapidly. The controller’s Low Altitude Aural and Visual Alert activated as the airplane descended through 1,900 ft. The ATC controller informed the pilot of the alert, to check his altitude, and that he appeared to be in a spiraling left hand turn. He then instructed the pilot to level his wings and stop his descent. Simultaneous loss of radar and radio communications occurred with the airplane headed east. The ATC controller advised the pilot that radar contact was lost. There were no radio distress calls recorded.
A postaccident examination of the airplane, engine, and related systems revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. It is likely the pilot became disoriented when he entered instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) and subsequently failed to maintain control of the airplane.
Probable Cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane due to spatial disorientation.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/two-dead-after-small-plane-crashes-in-montgomery-county/285-babd4110-fe34-4522-9602-d99d9906b42e
https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2020/10/25/2-onboard-aircraft-killed-in-montgomery-county-crash/
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/neighborhood/east-montgomery/news/article/Two-killed-in-Montgomery-County-aircraft-crash-15673626.php
NTSB
https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/Search/NNumberResult
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N26136
https://photos-e1.flightcdn.com/photos/retriever/e1435c88aef803d1a448594814e7eaf390063e88 (photo)
Location
Images:
Photos: NTSB
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 25-Oct-2020 17:58 | Geno | Added |
| 25-Oct-2020 18:01 | Geno | Updated [Departure airport] |
| 26-Oct-2020 14:37 | RobertMB | Updated [Location, Phase, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 26-Oct-2020 18:34 | RobertMB | Updated [Aircraft type, Cn, Narrative] |
| 28-Oct-2020 11:47 | Captain Adam | Updated [Narrative] |
| 21-May-2022 17:27 | Captain Adam | Updated [Time, Location, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report, Photo] |
| 21-May-2022 17:28 | Captain Adam | Updated [Photo] |
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