- Date
- July 19, 2011, 12:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Meeker, CO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N314FRCessna 182S
- Defining event
- Enroute: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 20, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110719015589A
- Case key
- 81185
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's inadvertent flight into a downdraft, which resulted in an in-flight collision with trees.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that he departed on a local sightseeing flight. He said that about 5 miles south of the airport at 1,000 feet above ground level, the airplane encountered a strong downdraft and began to descend. The airplane collided with the tops of several trees before the pilot could arrest the descent. The pilot was able to regain control of the airplane and returned to the departure airport without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the horizontal stabilizer and elevator. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot departed on a local sightseeing flight. About 5 miles south of the departure airport and at an altitude of at least 1,000 feet above the terrain, the airplane encountered a strong downdraft. The airplane collided with the tops of several trees before the pilot could arrest the descent. The pilot was able to regain control of the airplane and return to the departure airport without further incident. The pilot added there were no preimpact problems with the airplane prior to the collision with the trees. Examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the horizontal stabilizer and elevator as a result of the collision with the tree tops.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N314FR
- Reported as
- Cessna 182S
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18280260
- Airframe hours
- 1,934
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540 SER, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Phds Inc
- Registered owner
- Phds Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 23, 2011
- Departed
- KEEO · Meeker, CO
- Destination
- KEEO · Meeker, CO
- Flight plan
- Unknown
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 36
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 27, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 336 total · 250 in this make and model · 23 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.23 inHg
- Observed at
- KEEO
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 9, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.3 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N314FR · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.