# NTSB DEN90FA041: Cessna 182P, N5831J, Tom'S Place, CA, January 13, 1990

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Fatal · Field investigation · Final report
- Date: January 12, 1990, 20:37 local (Jan 13, 1990, 04:37 UTC)
- Place: Tom'S Place, CA
- Coordinates: 37.500652, -118.310096 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.5007&lon=-118.3101&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Unknown](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/990) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: Fatal
- Injuries: 3 fatal
- Status: Completed, report December 10, 1990
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 17814
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DEN90FA041
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/17814/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN90FA041

## Probable cause

CONTINUED FLIGHT BY THE PILOT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC), AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE ABOVE THE GROUND.  FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE:  DARK NIGHT, ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, SELF INDUCED PRESSURE, AND SPATIAL DISORIENTATION.

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- In flight encounter with weather, unknown
  - light condition - dark night (contributing factor)
  - weather condition - low ceiling (contributing factor)
  - weather condition - snow (contributing factor)
  - weather condition - obscuration (contributing factor)
  - vfr flight into imc - continued, pilot in command (cause)
  - self-induced pressure, pilot in command (contributing factor)
- In flight collision with terrain/water, maneuvering
  - proper altitude - not maintained, pilot in command (cause)
  - spatial disorientation, pilot in command (contributing factor)

## Analysis

THE PLT HAD A CABIN NR MAMMOTH/JUNE LAKES ARPT & OFTEN FLEW THERE ON WEEKENDS. WHILE ON A NGT FLT, HE COMMUNICATED WITH AN OUTBOUND CARGO PLT, WHO WARNED OF HVY SNW FALL & POOR VIS AT THE ARPT. WHILE CONVERSING, THE PLT OF N5831J REPLIED, 'OH DEAR, MY CAR IS UP THERE.'  THE CARGO PLT AGAIN WARNED THAT HE DOUBTED IF N5831J COULD LND AT THE ARPT. A WORKER, WHO LEFT THE ARPT AT 2030 PST, NOTED THE RWY LGTS CAME ON AS HE WAS DRIVING HOME. HE BELIEVED THE LGTS WERE ACTIVATED BY A PLT (BY KEYING THE MIKE 5 TIMES ON UNICOM FREQ). THREE WITNESSES SAW THE ACFT (OR ACFT LGTS) AT ABOUT THE TIME IT CRASHED. IMPACT OCCURRED IN A LEFT WING LOW, NOSE DWN ATTITUDE. ONE WITNESS THOUGHT THE ACFT WAS TURNING OR ARCING WHEN IT CRASHED. ANOTHER WITNESS ESTIMATED THERE WAS A 100' CEILING WITH SNW FALLING ON A DARK NGT. IMPACT WAS ABOUT 1 MI FM A HIWAY BTN MAMMOTH LAKES & BISHOP, CA (ABT 10 MI SE OF MAMMOTH/JUNE LAKES ARPT & 17 MI NW OF BISHOP ARPT). NO PREIMPACTPART FAILURE/MALFUNCTION OF THE ACFT OR ENG WAS FND. THERE WAS NO PUBLISHED INST APCH PROC AT MAMMOTH/JUNE LAKES ARPT.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N5831J](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5831J-2013-04-23), registration cancelled 2013-04-23, S/N 18263559, built 1975 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 182P
- Registry model: [Cessna 182P](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-182p) (registry code 2075816) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Continental O-470 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-o-470-series) (registry code 17026, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 18263559
- Airframe hours: 3659
- Engines: CONTINENTAL O-470-S 230 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Destroyed
- Fire: On-Ground
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Operator: Grice, Thomas G.
- Registered owner: Grice, Thomas G
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: Annual, September 9, 1989
- Departed: CPM, COMPTON, CA
- Destination: MMH, MAMMOTH LAKE, CA

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 52; commercial, private; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; toxicology performed; flight hours: 2,683 total, 531 in this make and model, 42 in the last 90 days

## Weather

- Conditions: Instrument (IMC), Night/dark
- Lowest ceiling: 100 ft unknown

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 19900112000489A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19900112000489A), Jan 12, 1990: Cessna 182P, Toms Place, CA, Destroyed, 3 fatal. Flew into trees on mountainside while trying to negotiate a pass. Snow, clouds, and fog in area. Poor judgement

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

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