NONE · BELL OH-58A · 2014-03-27 · Tehachapi, CA, USA
Event
NTSB number
WPR14TA149
Event ID
20140327X35539
Type
Accident
Date
2014-03-27
Location
Tehachapi, CA, USA
Coordinates
35.110553, -118.339164
Injuries
Highest injury
NONE
Fatal
0
Serious
0
Minor
0
Uninjured
3
Total aboard
3
Aircraft
Make
BELL
Model
OH-58A
Registration
N497E
FAR Part
PUBU
Engines
1
Damage
SUBS
Conditions
Light
NITE
Weather
IMC
Probable cause
The pilot's decision to attempt a mission at night with known en route weather conditions below operating minimums, likely due to self-induced pressure, and then continue flight beyond the alternate landing airport as weather conditions deteriorated, which resulted in the pilot experiencing spatial disorientation. Contributing to the accident were the pilot's fatigue, his failure to recognize that mist had formed on the inner surface of the windshield, his complacency due to the effectiveness of the night vision goggles, and his failure to use the radar altimeter.