ATL83FA176

Factual narrative

THE ACFT CRASHED INTO TREES DURING AN INSTRUMENT APPROACH AT NIGHT IN STORMY WEATHER. BOTH THE CFI, SEATED IN THE FRONT LEFT SEAT, & THE NEW OWNER OF THE ACFT, WERE FATALLY INJURED. AN IFR FLT PLAN WAS FILED & THE CFI HAD OBTAINED 2 WX BRIEFINGS PRIOR TO DEPARTURE. THE ACFT HAD JUST RECEIVED AN ANNUAL INSPECTION AS A PART OF THE SALES CONTRACT. AT 2313 BRUNSWICK FSS ADVISED JACKSONVILLE CENTER THAT N8855V WAS CLEARED FOR APPROACH & WAS INBOUND. JACKSONVILLE GAVE FSS THE MISSED APPROACH PROCEDURES. AT 2321 FSS ADVISED JACKSONVILLE THAT COMMUNICATIONS HAD BEEN LOST. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT ALTHOUGH THE ACFT HAD RECEIVED AN ANNUAL INSPECTION ON 03-15-83, A DISCREPANCY LIST, DATED 03-16-83, FOUND IN THE ACFT SHOWED THE #2 VOR WAS UNRELIABLE; THE DIRECTIONAL GYRO PRECESSED; THE COMPASS NEEDED TO BE CALIBRATED; THE FUEL GAUGES WERE UNRELIABLE; & THE ALTERNATOR OUTPUT WAS SUSPECT IN HIGH LOAD SITUATIONS. THE ALTIMETER, PITOT STATIC SYSTEM & TRANSPONDER HAD NOT BEEN RECERTIFIED SINCE 1978. ALSO, NO RECORD OF VOR ACCURACY CHECKS WERE FOUND DURING THE INVEST. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12