VFR into IMC · NTSB CEN21FA297
Earthstar Aircraft Gull 2000 — Curtiss, WI
| Date | June 30, 2021 |
| Location | Curtiss, WI |
| Aircraft | Earthstar Aircraft Gull 2000 |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Dawn · Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Takeoff Loss of visual reference |
| Pilot age | 27 |
| Pilot total time | 158 hrs · Low time |
| Time in type | 8 hrs |
| Fatalities | 1 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot
- Personnel issues-Psychological-Personality/attitude-Motivation/respond to pressure-Pilot
- Personnel issues-Psychological-Perception/orientation/illusion-Spatial disorientation-Pilot
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot
- Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Ceiling/visibility/precip-Below VFR minima-Effect on operation
- Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Light condition-Dark-Effect on operation
What happened
The pilot, who was not instrument rated, was departing on an early morning crosscountry flight. The airplane descended into trees and terrain near the departure airstrip. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, the empennage, and the fuselage. Postaccident examination revealed no evidence of a preexisting mechanical malfunction or failure that would have prevented normal operation of the airplane.
Based on witness accounts and reviewed weather data, instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) with dense fog and low clouds existed at the accident time. The airplane was not equipped for flight in IMC. The accident occurred about 8 minutes after civil twilight began and about 29 minutes before the official sunrise; it likely was still substantially dark as the flight departed toward the west and away from the rising sun.
It is likely the pilot had self-imposed pressure to depart on the round-trip flight in the early morning hours so he could return for work. Additionally, he likely became spatially disorientated shortly after takeoff when the airplane entered IMC, which resulted in his loss of airplane control and the unintentional descent into trees and terrain.
Toxicology testing detected low levels of ethanol in the pilot’s specimens; however, the identified ethanol was likely from a source other than ingestion and was not a factor in the accident.