Primary finding
Probable cause
Spatial disorientation, and failure to maintain proper glidepath.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
Pilot returning from a night cross country flight cancelled her IFR flight plan and proceeded visually to her destination, an uncontrolled airport. The runway used at the destination airport was narrow, sloped uphill, had a displaced threshold, low intensity runway lighting, no vasi, and was surrounded by dark featureless terrain. The airplane was found the following day in a swamp one-quarter mile from the approach end of the runway. The aircraft had descended into trees, and crashed in the swamp.
Source record
Factual narrative
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