Date & Time: Aug 1, 1971 at 1630 LT
Type of aircraft:
Beechcraft D18
Operator:
Air Lease
Registration:
N296RB
Flight Phase:
Flight
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Savannah – Lake Charles
MSN:
A-82
YOM:
1946
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
1
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
1
Captain / Total flying hours:
300
Circumstances:
En route from Savannah to Lake Charles, while in cruising altitude, the pilot encountered very bad weather conditions with heavy rain falls and turbulences. In clouds, he lost control of the airplane that entered a dive and crashed in an open field. The airplane was destroyed and the pilot, sole on board, was killed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the pilot continued under VFR mode into adverse weather conditions. The following factors were reported:
- Spatial disorientation,
- Low ceiling, rain and fog,
- The pilot weather briefing included current sigmet calling for thunderstorms imbedded in weather throughout intended route.
Final Report:
N296RB.pdf104.25 KB