NTSB CAROL · Event
Event FTW90FA032
Registry · N1026W
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
VAN'S AIRCRAFT RV7A
Year of manufacture
2004
Engine
AMA/EXPR UNKNOWN ENG
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20170727
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A00F61
Registrant of record
WARNER ROBERT P
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S LOSS OF CONTROL IN FLIGHT BECAUSE OF SPATIAL DISORIENTATION. A FACTOR WAS THE DARK NIGHT.
Factual narrative
SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED IN A STEEP NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE INTO THE EDGE OF A POND ABOUT 1/2 MILE SOUTH AND 1/4 MILE WEST OF THE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 16. DARK NIGHT VMC PREVAILED. THE PILOT WAS NOT INSTRUMENT RATED; HE HAD LOGGED 54 HOURS OF SIMULATED INSTRUMENT TIME, BUT NO ACTUAL WEATHER TIME. THE FUEL SELECTORS WERE FOUND IN THE AUXILIARY TANK POSITION. CHORD WISE WITNESS MARKS WERE NOT EVIDENT ON ANY OF THE PROPELLER BLADES, WHICH IMPACTED IN MUD AND SHALLOW WATER. BOTH ENGINES WERE FUNCTIONALLY TESTED IN A TEST CELL AND THEY OPERATED SUCCESSFULLY. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1989_FTW90FA032.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 (loss of control, 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…
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2025 · Journal article (JAAER)
A Scoping Review of Aviation Loss of Control Inflight Research
Loss of control – inflight (LOC-I) contributes to aircraft accidents at unacceptably high rates. Significant industry efforts and research have aimed to improve LOC-I prevention, detection, and recove…
- SKYbrary (Eurocontrol) 2024 · SKYbrary article
Loss of Control In-Flight (LOC-I) — SKYbrary Knowledge Base
SKYbrary comprehensive knowledge-base entry on Loss of Control In-Flight — definitions, contributing factors, accident case studies (Air France 447, Colgan 3407), and prevention strategies.
- NTSB Aircraft Accident Reports 2022 · Accident report
Loss of Control on Takeoff in Icing Conditions — Citation 560XL
Cessna Citation 560XL fatal takeoff icing accident, March 2018. Investigation of a Citation 560XL loss-of-control takeoff accident in icing conditions.
- 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.
- Semantic Scholar 2021 · Article (Aviation)
ANALYSIS OF GENERAL AVIATION FIXED-WING AIRCRAFT ACCIDENTS INVOLVING INFLIGHT LOSS OF CONTROL USING A STATE-BASED APPROACH
Inflight loss of control (LOC-I) is a significant cause of General Aviation (GA) fixed-wing aircraft accidents. The United States National Transportation Safety Board’s database provides a rich source…
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