- Date
- October 2, 1989, 05:30 local (12:30 UTC)
- Place
- Nixon, NV
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N2155GCessna 182A
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Dawn
- Status
- Completed · report February 15, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891002038649A
- Case key
- 17805
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
Continued flight by the non-instrument rated pilot into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), and his failure to maintain control of the aircraft, due to spatial disorientation. Inadequate preflight preflight planning/preparation by the pilot, and the weather and light conditions at early dawn were factors.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
At about 0430 PDT, the non-instrument rated plt depd cameron park, CA, on a flt to elko, NV, where he was to rprt to work between 0700 & 0730. While en route, the acft crashed on nearly level terrain, near the base of a mtn, at an elevation of about 4800'. Impact occurred at dawn. An exam of the wreckage revealed the acft crashed at high speed, while in a left wing low, nose low attitude. A wx study showed clouds existed in the area from 6000' to 15,000' MSL with wx cells moving from southwest to northeast. Aprx 35 mi west-southwest at reno (elev 4412'), the wx was (in part) 1000' scattered, 3200' overcast, visibility 8 mi, wind from 290 deg at 6 KTS. No preimpact part failure or malfunction of the acft or eng was found. Radar data showed that just before impact, the acft's altitude varied from 12,500' to 8,300' MSL, with a descent rate of up to 2900'/MIN. No record of a wx briefing was found.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2155G
- Reported as
- Cessna 182A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 51455
- Engine
- Continental O-470-L, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Ables, Steven D.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 14, 1989
- Departed
- 061 · Cameron Park, CA
- Destination
- EKO · Elko, NV
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
- 41
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 305 total · 146 in this make and model · 268 as pilot in command · 28 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Dawn
- Wind
- 290° at 6 knots
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RNO, 35 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.