Accident Cessna 425 Corsair N425BN,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 34849
 
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Date:Saturday 11 January 1992
Time:20:08 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic C425 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Cessna 425 Corsair
Owner/operator:George N. Derenia
Registration: N425BN
MSN: 425-0057
Year of manufacture:1981
Engine model:P&W PT6A-112
Fatalities:Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 7
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Category:Accident
Location:Las Vegas, NV -   United States of America
Phase: En route
Nature:Private
Departure airport:Las Vegas, NV (KLAS)
Destination airport:Torrance, CA (KTOR)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
NO RECORD COULD BE FOUND SHOWING THE PILOT RECEIVED A WEATHER BRIEFING PRIOR TO TAKEOFF. UNFAVORABLE WEATHER WAS IN THE VICINITY. SEVERAL TIMES THE PILOT HAD DIFFICULTIES UNDERSTANDING AND COMPLYING WITH INSTRUCTIONS FROM CLEARANCE DELIVERY, GROUND CONTROL, AND DEPARTURE CONTROL. AFTER TAKEOFF THE PILOT REQUESTED AND RECEIVED AN IFR CLEARANCE. DURING THE LAST FIVE MINUTES OF FLIGHT RADAR RETURNS SHOWED THE AIRPLANE CHANGING HEADING FROM 45 DEGREES TO AS MUCH AS 180 DEGREES ABOUT 10 TIMES AND DESCENDING OR ASCENDING SEVERAL TIMES FROM ALTITUDES RANGING FROM 4,500 FEET MSL TO 11,500 FEET MSL. THE ALTITUDE AND HEADING CHANGES WERE NOT DIRECTED BY CONTROLLERS. ABOUT 3 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT DEPARTURE CONTROL ASKED THE PILOT IF HE HAD A PROBLEM. THE PILOT INDICATED THAT HE DID AND 'WE'RE TRYING TO GET STRAIGHT.' ONE MINUTE LATER, THE PILOT SAID 'WE'RE ALL RIGHT.' SHORTLY AFTERWARDS, RADAR DATA SHOWED A LOSS OF CONTROL. RADAR AND COMMUNICATIONS WERE LOST AND AN ON GROUND EXPLOSION WAS OBSERVED AS THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. AN FAA FLIGHT SURGEON REVIEWED THE PILOT'S MEDICAL RECORDS. WITHIN ONE YEAR OF THE ACCIDENT THE PILOT HAD 3 PHYSICAL CONDITIONS AND WAS TAKING 3 SEPARATE PRESCRIPTIONS WHICH WOULD HAVE PREVENTED HIM FROM BEING MEDICALLY QUALIFIED TO PILOT AN AIRCRAFT.

Probable Cause: THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRCRAFT CONTROL DUE TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION. FACTORS IN THIS ACCIDENT WERE: 1) THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO OBTAIN A PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING AND TO PROPERLY EVALUATE THE EXISTING WEATHER CONDITIONS PRIOR TO FLIGHT, AND 2) REPORTED UNFAVORABLE WEATHER CONDITIONS, INCLUDING TURBULENCE, SNOW, RAIN, AND OBSCURATION AT FLIGHT ALTITUDES ALONG THE PILOT'S ROUTE OF FLIGHT.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: LAX92FA090
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 1 year and 4 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB LAX92FA090

Location

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
24-Oct-2008 10:30 ASN archive Added
23-Nov-2017 21:06 wf Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Source]
11-Apr-2024 09:23 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report]

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