NTSB CAROL · Event
Event NYC90LA131
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
POOR JUDGEMENT OF THE PILOT, HIS DECISION TO ATTEMPT VFR FLIGHT IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC), AND HIS LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL DUE TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S LACK OF PROPER CERTIFICATION (QUALIFICATION), HIS POSSIBLE IMPAIRMENT DUE TO CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL, DARKNESS, ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF INSTRUMENT AND FLIGHT EXPERIENCE.
Factual narrative
THE STUDENT PILOT'S CERTIFICATE HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN REVOKED FOR TAKING AN AIRPLANE WITHOUT THE OWNER'S PERMISSION. HE TOOK AN AIRPLANE AGAIN WITHOUT PERMISSION FOR A NIGHT FLIGHT IN WEATHER THAT WAS INDEFINITE 100' CEILING WITH 1/4 MI VISIBILITY & FOG. SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, THE AIRPLANE ENTERED CLOUDS & THE PILOT MADE A DESCENDING TURN TO REGAIN VISUAL CONTACT. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE GROUND & WAS EXTENSIVELY DAMAGED. THE OWNER SAID HE KEPT A SPARE SET OF KEYS IN THE AIRPLANE & THEY WERE MISSING TWO DAYS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. THE SPARE KEYS WERE FOUND ON THE PILOT'S KEY RING AFTER THE ACCIDENT. AFTER THE DOWNED AIRPLANE & PILOT WERE FOUND, HE WAS TAKEN TO A HOSPITAL. A SAMPLE OF HIS BLOOD WAS DRAWN & A TOXICOLOGY CHECK SHOWED IT HAD AN ALCOHOL LEVEL OF 0.01 G/DL (0.010%). Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1990_NYC90LA131.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
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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, imc). Sourced from NASA NTRS, NTSB Safety Studies, FAA CAMI, AOPA Air Safety Institute, Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons, arXiv, and the Semantic Scholar academic graph.
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Conference Paper
Crash Testing and Simulation of a Cessna 172 Aircraft: Pitch Down Impact Onto Soft Soil
During the summer of 2015, NASA Langley Research Center conducted three full-scale crash tests of Cessna 172 (C-172) aircraft at the NASA Langley Landing and Impact Research (LandIR) Facility.
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Technical Memorandum (TM)
Simulating the Impact Response of Three Full-Scale Crash Tests of Cessna 172 Aircraft
During the summer of 2015, a series of three full-scale crash tests were performed at the Landing and Impact Research Facility located at NASA Langley Research Center of Cessna 172 aircraft.
- 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 2023 · Conference paper
Validation of Training Satisfaction Survey
The Training Satisfaction Survey (TSS) was developed as part of a larger project to examine the features of Virtual Reality software and supporting devices as a training program on visual illusions an…
- 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).
Browse the full corpus — academia portal ↗