- Date
- September 16, 1991, 09:12 local (14:12 UTC)
- Place
- Elida, NM
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3223SCessna 182G
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 3, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910916040509A
- Case key
- 18035
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 improper preflight planning/preparation for the flight and his subsequent flight into instrument meteorological conditions. A factor was: heavy fog and low ceiling.
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
The non-instrument rated pilot elected to attempt a cross country flight without a weather briefing or filing a flight plan. After takeoff, and within several miles of the airport, the pilot encountered adverse weather conditions. Witnesses could hear the aircraft flying overhead, but because of low ceilings and heavy fog they were unable to see the aircraaft. They said that the engine sound suddenly stopped and later, when the fog lifted, they saw smoke coming from the ground in a nearby pasture where the wreckage was found burning.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3223S
- Reported as
- Cessna 182G
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18255723
- Engine
- Continental O-470-R, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Claude B. Mcafee
- Registered owner
- Claude B. Mcafee
- Departed
- Q34 · Portales, NM
- Destination
- ATS · Artesia, NM
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
- 53
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 150 total · 8 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
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 N3223S · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.