BAXTER, CA, USA
N9TG
CESSNA P210N
THE PILOT CALLED CENTER WHILE AIRBORNE AND REQUESTED AN IFR CLEARANCE. ABOUT 15 MINUTES AFTER RECEIVING THE CLEARANCE, THE PILOT WAS GIVEN A VECTOR FOR TRAFFIC. THE PILOT SAID HE NEEDED HELP AND ASKED IF HE WAS ON COURSE. THE PILOT THEN SAID HE WAS IN AN UNUSUAL ATTITUDE AND COULDN'T DETERMINE WHY. ABOUT 15 SECONDS LATER THE PILOT SAID 'OKAY I'LL AH WE MIGHT BE IN A SPIN.' THE CONTROLLER SAID THAT HE WAS SHOWING THE AIRPLANE AS LEVEL AND ASKED IF THE PILOT WAS HAVING PROBLEMS. THE PILOT SAID 'YES OUR VACUUM AH OUR ARTIFICAL GYRO IS SHOWNG US AT A VERY UNUSUAL ATTITUDE.' THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED COMING OUT OF THE CLOUDS WITH WINGS SEPARATING FROM THE AIRPLANE. THE AIRPLANE HAD A VACUUM SYSTEM PROBLEM WHICH WAS RECORDED AS REPAIRED AND CHECKED AS OK ABOUT 2 1/2 MONTHS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT HAD ABOUT 4 HOURS OF ACTUAL AND ABOUT 56 HOURS SIMULATED INSTRUMENT TIME. THE VACUUM PUMP WAS DESTROYED IN THE IMPACT.
1) A PARTIAL LOSS OF THE AIRPLANE'S VACUUM SYSTEM WHICH RESULTED IN THE TOTAL LOSS OF THE DIRECTIONAL GYRO AND THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR, 2) THE PILOT NOT MAINTAINING AIRCRAFT CONTROL DUE SPATIAL DISORIENTATION, AND 3) THE PILOT NOT CORRECTING FOR A SPIRAL BY USING PROPER RECOVERY TECHNIQUES WHICH RESULTED IN THE OVERLOAD FAILURE OF THE WINGS. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S LACK OF TOTAL INSTURMENT FLIGHT EXPEREINCE.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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