What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On March 4, 2013, about 1106 Alaska standard time, a Cessna 182B airplane, N2343G, sustained substantial damage when it collided with snow-covered terrain, about 65 miles southeast of nikolai, Alaska. The airplane was being operated by the pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal flight, under 14 code of federal regulations, part 91, when the accident occurred. The certificated commercial pilot and two passengers were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. Field inspection by the NTSB revealed that the emergency locator transmitter (ELT) switch was in the off position while the ELT remote switch was in the arm position. The ELT was tested at the accident site and was operable. The condition of the propeller blades indicates that the engine was producing power at the time of impact.
The pilot's last regulatory check ride date was collected from FAA records of an FAR part 135 check ride given in may of 2012. The pilot's logbook and aircraft maintenance record locations are unknown. The pilot's total time has been taken from the last medical records dated 10/25/12. An aircraft trip log onboard the aircraft indicated that the recording tachometer was not working during the accident flight due to the fact that the logged start time of the flight was the same as the time on the tachometer at the accident scene. Therefore the aircraft total time was calculated from draft aircraft maintenance logbook entries obtained from a work order from the maintenenace provider and the last recorded time on the tachometer at the accident site.
Information regarding the ELT master switch being found in the off position was forwarded to the FAA safety team (faasteam) for distribution to the flying public to prevent ELT?s from inadvertently being disabled during flight.
As the FAA filed it
ON MARCH 4, 2013, ABOUT 1106 ALASKA STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 182B AIRPLANE, N2343G, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH SNOW-COVERED TERRAIN, ABOUT 65 MILES SOUTHEAST OF NIKOLAI, ALASKA. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED BY THE PILOT AS A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) PERSONAL FLIGHT, UNDER 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS, PART 91, WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS WERE FATALLY INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. FIELD INSPECTION BY THE NTSB REVEALED THAT THE EMERGENCY LOCATOR TRANSMITTER (ELT) SWITCH WAS IN THE OFF POSITION WHILE THE ELT REMOTE SWITCH WAS IN THE ARM POSITION. THE ELT WAS TESTED AT THE ACCIDENT SITE AND WAS OPERABLE. THE CONDITION OF THE PROPELLER BLADES INDICATES THAT THE ENGINE WAS PRODUCING POWER AT THE TIME OF IMPACT.
THE PILOT'S LAST REGULATORY CHECK RIDE DATE WAS COLLECTED FROM FAA RECORDS OF AN FAR PART 135 CHECK RIDE GIVEN IN MAY OF 2012. THE PILOT'S LOGBOOK AND AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE RECORD LOCATIONS ARE UNKNOWN. THE PILOT'S TOTAL TIME HAS BEEN TAKEN FROM THE LAST MEDICAL RECORDS DATED 10/25/12. AN AIRCRAFT TRIP LOG ONBOARD THE AIRCRAFT INDICATED THAT THE RECORDING TACHOMETER WAS NOT WORKING DURING THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE LOGGED START TIME OF THE FLIGHT WAS THE SAME AS THE TIME ON THE TACHOMETER AT THE ACCIDENT SCENE. THEREFORE THE AIRCRAFT TOTAL TIME WAS CALCULATED FROM DRAFT AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE LOGBOOK ENTRIES OBTAINED FROM A WORK ORDER FROM THE MAINTENENACE PROVIDER AND THE LAST RECORDED TIME ON THE TACHOMETER AT THE ACCIDENT SITE.
INFORMATION REGARDING THE ELT MASTER SWITCH BEING FOUND IN THE OFF POSITION WAS FORWARDED TO THE FAA SAFETY TEAM (FAASTEAM) FOR DISTRIBUTION TO THE FLYING PUBLIC TO PREVENT ELT?S FROM INADVERTENTLY BEING DISABLED DURING FLIGHT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.