20111106027399A

On November 6, 2011, about 1850 standard time, a Cessna 182Q, N4701N, collided with hilly terrain near lake havasu city, Arizona. The pilot was operating the airplane under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91. The private pilot and two passengers sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was destroyed and was fragmented during the accident sequence. The cross-country personal flight departed glendale municipal airport (geu), glendale Arizona, about 1800 with a planned destination of lake havasu city airport (hii), lake havasu, Arizona. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the destination airport, and no flight plan had been filed. The airplane became the subject of an alert notice (alnot) at 0928 on November 9, after the pilot did not report for work as expected. The civil air patrol and mohave county sheriff's department subsequently initiated a search, and the airplane was located at 1600. The airplane was located within an unpopulated area of the rawhide mountain wilderness. The wreckage came to rest at an elevation of 2,400 feet above sea level, on the southwest facing slope of a ravine about 9 miles northwest of alamo lake. The ground surrounding the wreckage was characterized by loose shale and rock, interspersed with scrub and palo verde trees. The debris field spanned a distance of about 360 feet, on a bearing of 145 degrees magnetic from the initial impact point. The first identified point of impact was characterized by a 6-foot-wide crater, which contained the engine, propeller, and sections of the instrument panel. Both wings, and the horizontal and vertical stabilizers, were positioned above the engine, and had sustained accordion-like crush damage perpendicular to the chord from their leading edges through to the aft spars. The left and right wing remained partially attached by the forward spar, and were oriented on a bearing of 55-degrees magnetic. Three-inch-deep ground disruptions of similar shape and length to both wings, and the vertical stabilizer, were noted 4-feet northwest of the crater. Fragments of green lens material were located at the tip of the northeast ground disruption corresponding to the right wing, with red lens fragments noted at tip of the southwest ground disruption, corresponding to the left wing. Fragments of red lens material, as well as the tail-mounted VOR antenna were located at the tip of the northwest disruption.a debris field containing cabin items, seat fragments and sections of airframe skin, emanated from the initial impact. The last major section of debris was located about 260-feet from the initial impact, and consisted of the forward cabin area, including the firewall, main and nose landing gear, and remnants of the footwell. The entire section had sustained thermal damage, consistent with post-accident fire. All major sections of the wreckage, including the engine, wings, main landing gear, and empennage were oriented 180 degrees relative to the direction of the debris path, consistent with the airplane impacting the ground while in an inverted attitude. The debris path was oriented opposite the presumed direction of travel.