NTSB CAROL · Event
Event LAX91FA066
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE WHILE FLYING IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND SPATIAL DISORIENTATION OF THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS DIVERSION OF THE PILOT'S ATTENTION TO NAVIGATIONAL TASKS SECONDS BEFORE THE LOSS OF CONTROL.
Factual narrative
THE PILOT OF A CESSNA T210M LOST CONTROL AND COLLIDED WITH LEVEL TERRAIN, 3 MILES SOUTH OF THE APRT WHILE ON AN IFR FLIGHT. RADAR CONTACT WAS ESTABLISHED WITH THE AIRPLANE AS IT CLIMBED THROUGH 300 FT MSL. THE RADAR DATA INDICATED THE AIRPLANE APPEARED TO BE ESTABLISHED ON THE ASSIGNED HEADING OF 150 DEG. AFTER THE PILOT RECEIVED AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL (ATC) CLEARANCE TO JOIN THE FLIGHT PLAN AIRWAY AND RESUME OWN NAVIGATION, THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED TO ENTER DESCENDING RIGHT TURN. AS THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED THROUGH 1,000 FT MSL, ATC ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE PILOT WITH NO RESPONSE FROM THE PILOT. WITNESSES ON THE GROUND OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE DESCEND OUT OF THE OVERCAST IN A NEAR VERTICAL ATTITUDE. TWO WITNESSES INDICATED THEY HEARD THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE OVERHEAD HEADING WESTBOUND AND THEN TURN EASTBOUND. ONE OF THE WITNESSES STATED, 'THE ENGINE SOUNDED NORMAL THERE WAS NO SPUTTERING OR ANYTHING.' EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE WRECKAGE DID NOT REVEAL ANY EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1991_LAX91FA066.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
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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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