NTSB CAROL · Event
Event SEA92LA044
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S CONTINUED VFR FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS WHICH RESULTED IN A LOSS OF CONTROL DUE TO THE LACK OF AIRCRAFT ATTITUDE INDICATORS AND RESULTANT PILOT SPATIAL DISORIENTATION. A FACTOR WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE WEATHER CONDITION(S).
Factual narrative
THE FLT HAD DEPARTED TUCSON, AZ, ON A SPECIAL VFR FERRY FLIGHT TO GREYBULL, WY. THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT INSTRUMENTED FOR IFR FLIGHT. WHEN THE FLT REPORTED OVER WINSLOW, IT WAS ADVISED THAT VFR FLT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED NORTHBOUND FROM ITS PRESENT POSITION. SURFACE WX CONDITIONS IN SOUTHCENTRAL WYOMING/NORTHWESTERN COLORADO AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WERE CONSISTENT WITH LOW CEILINGS, CLOUDS AND SNOW AS REPORTED BY WITNESSES AND SURFACE WX OBSERVATIONS. THE WITNESSES, LOCATED NEAR THE DIXON ARPT, REPORTED HEARING A LOW FLYING AIRCRAFT TRAVELLING W TO E, AND ANOTHER WITNESS NE OF THE ARPT HEARD AN AIRCRAFT 'REVVING' ITS ENGINES. RADAR DATA SHOWS THE AIRCRAFT TRACKING NORTHBOUND SLIGHTLY EAST OF THE DIXON ARPT, AND EXECUTING A CLOCKWISE 360 DEG TURN NE OF THE ARPT AND IN THE VICINITY OF ONE OF THE WITNESSES. THE LAST RADAR TARGET RECEIVED PLACED THE AIRCRAFT APRX 1 MI NNE OF THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED SNOW COVERED TERRAIN IN A STEEP NOSE-DOWN ATTITUDE. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1992_SEA92LA044.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 (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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