NTSB CAROL · Event
Event CHI92FA220
Registry · N8BL
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
CESSNA 414
Year of manufacture
1970 · 22 years old at event
Engine
CONT MOTOR TSIO-520 SER (300 hp)
Seats / Engines
7 seats · 2 engines
Last airworthiness date
19931023
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S AADD4F
Registrant of record
PRO ONE JANITORIAL INC
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
SPATIAL DISORIENTATION OF THE PILOT IN COMMAND DURING INITIAL CLIMB.
Factual narrative
THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN DURING INITIAL CLIMB FROM A PRIVATE LANDING STRIP. THE INTENDED DESTINATION WAS THE ANNUAL EAA FLY IN AT OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN. NIGHT VMC CONDITIONS PREVAILED. AN AURAL WITNESS HEARD WHAT HE DESCRIBED AS A 'REGULAR AIRPLANE ENGINE.' HE STATED IT STARTED RACING AND GOING REAL FAST AND THEN HE HEARD 'LITTLE POPS.' HE SAW THE SKY TURN ORANGE. SHORTLY AFTER THAT THE TOWN FIRE ALARM SOUNDED. THE PILOT OF THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE WAS A DENTIST AND WORKED ALL THE PREVIOUS DAY. HE THEN FLEW A FOUR HOUR FLIGHT AND RETURNED TO THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT ABOUT 2230. THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT OCCURRED ABOUT 0310 THE FOLLOWING MORNING. THE RUNWAY USED WAS 1700 FEET LONG AND 45 FEET WIDE. A MATURE TREE LINE CROSSED THE EXTENDED CENTERLINE APPROXIMATELY 700 FEET SOUTH OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED ABOUT 360 FEET SOUTHEAST OF THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE FLIGHT PATH WAS OVER UNLIGHTED FARMLAND AND THE MOON WAS BELOW THE HORIZON. NO MECHANICAL DEFECTS WERE DISCOVERED IN THE AIRPLANE OR POWERPLANT. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1992_CHI92FA220.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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Related research
What the literature says.
Academic papers and agency reports matching this event's aircraft type or causal vocabulary (spatial disorientation). Sourced from NASA NTRS, NTSB Safety Studies, FAA CAMI, AOPA Air Safety Institute, Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons, arXiv, and the Semantic Scholar academic graph.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2025 · Journal article (IJAAA)
Design, Implementation, and Testing of Spatial Disorientation Scenarios in a Modified Hexapod Motion Simulator
Abstract Investigations into aviation accidents aim to identify root causes and enhance safety. Despite advancements in safety measures, technology, and education, general aviation accident rates rema…
- AOPA Air Safety Institute 2022 · Safety advisor
Safety Advisor: Spatial Disorientation
Safety advisor on the perceptual illusions that cause spatial disorientation: the leans, graveyard spiral, somatogravic and somatogyral illusions, false horizon, and Coriolis.
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Conference Paper
Evaluation of Low Cost, User-Centered Alerting Devices for the Mitigation of Flight Crew Spatial Disorientation
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is conducting research into technologies which have the potential to reduce flight crew Spatial Disorientation (SD).
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Presentation
Pre-Flight Training of Autonomic Responses for Mitigating the Effects of Spatial Disorientation During Spaceflight
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has identified a potential risk of spatial disorientation, motion sickness, and degraded performance to astronauts during re-entry and landing …
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Other
The Role of Spatial Disorientation in Fatal General Aviation Accidents
In-flight Spatial Disorientation (SD) in pilots is a serious threat to aviation safety. Indeed, SD may play a much larger role in aviation accidents than the approximate 6-8% reported by the National …
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Technical Memorandum (TM)
Autogenic-Feedback Training Exercise (AFTE) Mitigates the Effects of Spatial Disorientation to Simulated Orion Spacecraft Re-Entry: Individual Differences
NASA has identified a potential risk of spatial disorientation to future astronauts during re-entry of the proposed Orion spacecraft.
Browse the full corpus — academia portal ↗