NTSB CAROL · Event
Event DEN92FA078
Registry · N337LS
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
GULFSTREAM AEROSPACE GV-SP (G550)
Year of manufacture
2007
Engine
ROLLS-ROYC BR 700 SERIES
Seats / Engines
20 seats · 2 engines
Last airworthiness date
20251002
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A3B0DB
Registrant of record
LAS VEGAS SANDS CORP
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
THE PILOT EXPERIENCING SPATIAL DISORIENTATION AND THE RESULTANT EXCESSIVE DESCENT RATE. FACTORS WERE: THE DARK NIGHT CONDITIONS.
Factual narrative
THE PILOT WAS CLEARED BY ARTCC FOR A VISUAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 24. HE ADVISED UNICOM HE WAS TOO HIGH AND WOULD CIRCLE TO LAND. AN AIRPORT ATTENDANT SAW THE AIRPLANE'S LANDING LIGHTS AND WATCHED IT BEGIN A LEFT TURN WHEN IT WAS OVER AND HALFWAY DOWN THE RUNWAY. THE DESCENT RATE INCREASED TO A 'HARD DIVE ABOUT 35 TO 45 DEGREES' BEFORE DISAPPEARING INTO A RAVINE ONE MILE SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT. VISUAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED BUT IT WAS A DARK NIGHT WITH NO MOON. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1992_DEN92FA078.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 ↗