A pilot taking a selfie while flying a single-engine plane lost control due to what federal aviation officials call "spatial disorientation" resulting from the camera flash and the plane went into a fatal spin which killed the pilot and the lone passenger.
That's the finding of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) regarding a crash on May 31, 2014. According to the federal agency, the aircraft was registered to and flown by Amritpa Singh, 29. Singh took off just after midnight from Front Range Airport. The plane was reported missing by Singh's family at 3:45 a.m. and the wreckage of the plane was discovered around 7:30 a.m. The plane was a Cessna-150 two-seater built in 1970.
"Based on the evidence of cell phone use during low-altitude maneuvering, including the flight immediately before the accident flight, it is likely that cell phone use during the accident flight distracted the pilot and contributed to the development of spatial disorientation and subsequent loss of control," continued the NTSB in its report.
Officials say that a GoPro video camera was found near the crash site, which is around 25 miles east of Denver, Colo.
"Post-accident examination of the airplane did not reveal any pre-impact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation," said the NTSB in its statement.
"Based on the wreckage distribution, which was consistent with a high-speed impact, and the degraded visual reference conditions, it is likely that the pilot experienced spatial disorientation and lost control of the airplane," states the agency's report.
While the GoPro did not capture the fatal crash, recordings on the video camera reveal a number of flights where the pilot and passengers were taking selfies.
Investigators of the crash say it is likely the plane suffered from an aerodynamic stall, subsequently spinning into the terrain.
"It is likely that cell phone use during the accident flight distracted the pilot and contributed to the development of spatial disorientation and subsequent loss of control," continued the report.
