What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On October 15, 2016, at 1552 pacific daylight time a Cessna 182D, N8718X, struck the eastern face of red peak mountain, in the desolation wilderness near south lake tahoe, California. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91. The private pilot sustained fatal injuries, and the airplane was destroyed. The cross-country flight departed winnemucca municipal airport, winnemucca, Nevada about 1320 with a planned destination of westover field / amador county airport, jackson, California. Marginal visual meteorological conditions with moderate rain prevailed at lake tahoe airport, 10 miles east of the accident site, and no flight plan had been filed.
The pilot was returning from a hunting trip in Idaho, and had stopped at winnemucca to service the airplane with fuel. Preliminary radar and audio data revealed that after takeoff, he initiated a climb to 10,500 ft. as he approached reno, he made contact with northern California TRACON (terminal radar approach control), requesting visual flight rules (VFR) flight following. The controller assigned the airplane a squawk code, and the flight progressed at a mode c reported altitude of 10,700 ft while remaining on a heading of 220 degrees magnetic, and travelling at a ground speed of between 40 and 60 knots.
Having reached southeast reno at 1505, the controller initiated handoff of the airplane to oakland center, and provided the pilot with the oakland frequency. The pilot read back the frequency correctly, however oakland controllers reported that the pilot did not make contact. The flight progressed at the same general heading and altitude for the next 30 minutes, however, radar data indicated that as the airplane approached the mountain range, it began to veer 30 degrees left and then right, while descending. Two minutes later, the airplane had descended to the last recorded radar target at 9,600 ft, about 1/2 mile east of the 9,100 ft mountain peak.
Controllers were unable to establish contact with the pilot, and an alert notice (alnot) was issued. Snow, rain, and strong wind conditions hampered the search effort, and the airplane wreckage was subsequently discovered three days later, at an elevation of about 8,100 ft, just below the last radar target.
As the FAA filed it
ON OCTOBER 15, 2016, AT 1552 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME A CESSNA 182D, N8718X, STRUCK THE EASTERN FACE OF RED PEAK MOUNTAIN, IN THE DESOLATION WILDERNESS NEAR SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91. THE PRIVATE PILOT SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES, AND THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED. THE CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT DEPARTED WINNEMUCCA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, WINNEMUCCA, NEVADA ABOUT 1320 WITH A PLANNED DESTINATION OF WESTOVER FIELD / AMADOR COUNTY AIRPORT, JACKSON, CALIFORNIA. MARGINAL VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS WITH MODERATE RAIN PREVAILED AT LAKE TAHOE AIRPORT, 10 MILES EAST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED.
THE PILOT WAS RETURNING FROM A HUNTING TRIP IN IDAHO, AND HAD STOPPED AT WINNEMUCCA TO SERVICE THE AIRPLANE WITH FUEL. PRELIMINARY RADAR AND AUDIO DATA REVEALED THAT AFTER TAKEOFF, HE INITIATED A CLIMB TO 10,500 FT. AS HE APPROACHED RENO, HE MADE CONTACT WITH NORTHERN CALIFORNIA TRACON (TERMINAL RADAR APPROACH CONTROL), REQUESTING VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) FLIGHT FOLLOWING. THE CONTROLLER ASSIGNED THE AIRPLANE A SQUAWK CODE, AND THE FLIGHT PROGRESSED AT A MODE C REPORTED ALTITUDE OF 10,700 FT WHILE REMAINING ON A HEADING OF 220 DEGREES MAGNETIC, AND TRAVELLING AT A GROUND SPEED OF BETWEEN 40 AND 60 KNOTS.
HAVING REACHED SOUTHEAST RENO AT 1505, THE CONTROLLER INITIATED HANDOFF OF THE AIRPLANE TO OAKLAND CENTER, AND PROVIDED THE PILOT WITH THE OAKLAND FREQUENCY. THE PILOT READ BACK THE FREQUENCY CORRECTLY, HOWEVER OAKLAND CONTROLLERS REPORTED THAT THE PILOT DID NOT MAKE CONTACT. THE FLIGHT PROGRESSED AT THE SAME GENERAL HEADING AND ALTITUDE FOR THE NEXT 30 MINUTES, HOWEVER, RADAR DATA INDICATED THAT AS THE AIRPLANE APPROACHED THE MOUNTAIN RANGE, IT BEGAN TO VEER 30 DEGREES LEFT AND THEN RIGHT, WHILE DESCENDING. TWO MINUTES LATER, THE AIRPLANE HAD DESCENDED TO THE LAST RECORDED RADAR TARGET AT 9,600 FT, ABOUT 1/2 MILE EAST OF THE 9,100 FT MOUNTAIN PEAK.
CONTROLLERS WERE UNABLE TO ESTABLISH CONTACT WITH THE PILOT, AND AN ALERT NOTICE (ALNOT) WAS ISSUED. SNOW, RAIN, AND STRONG WIND CONDITIONS HAMPERED THE SEARCH EFFORT, AND THE AIRPLANE WRECKAGE WAS SUBSEQUENTLY DISCOVERED THREE DAYS LATER, AT AN ELEVATION OF ABOUT 8,100 FT, JUST BELOW THE LAST RADAR TARGET.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N8718X · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.