DFW07FA149 · SOCATA TB-20

The instrument-rated commercial pilot departed on a cross-country flight through instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). The pilot made radio transmissions to ground control, tower, low radar approach control, and high radar approach control that he was "new at instruments" and that he had not flow in IMC "in a long time." While maneuvering back to get back on the centerline of the airway, while operating in an area of heavy precipitation, the pilot lost control of the airplane after he became spatially disoriented. Recorded radar data revealed flight with stable parameters until approximately 1140:49 when the airplane is recorded making an unexpected right turn at a rate of 2-degrees per second. A turn at this rate may not have been noticed by the pilot since there were no radar calls to departure control. The right turn continues until radar contact is lost at 1141:58 at which point that airplane is turning at a rate of approximately 5-degrees per second and descending at over 3,600 feet per minute. Wreckage and impact information was consistent with a right bank, low-angle, high-speed descent. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed in the area at the time of the accident. The descent profile was found to be consistent with the "graveyard spiral." Prior to flight, for unknown reasons, the telephone conversations with the Flight Service Station progressed from being conservative to a strong desire to fly home, consistent with the pilot phenomena "get-home-itis." The 26-year old pilot, was reported to have accumulated a total of 456.7 hours, of which 35.8 hours were in the same make and model. Prior to the accident flight, the pilot had accumulated a total of 2.5 hours of actual instrument time, with 105.7 hours of simulated instrument time.

Verbatim NTSB analysis and probable cause from the NTSB dataset