- Date
- October 27, 1989, 14:38 local (19:38 UTC)
- Place
- Crane, TX
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N756WHCessna TR182
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 5, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891027043429A
- Case key
- 22999
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 instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), and his loss of aircraft control, due to spatial disorientation. Factors related to the accident were: the adverse weather conditions, and the pilot's lack of instrument experience.
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 plt was on a VFR x-country flt. He rcvd an inflt wx briefing & was adzd of a convective SIGMET (25C) concerning imbedded thunderstorms. The controller also provided the current wx for midland & farmington, and suggested a routing around the area of thunderstorms. The plt said he did not have a map & asked for the call letters for farmington. When the acft did not arrive, a search was initiated. Radar data showed that an acft in the area had made a spiraling dive from 11,800 ft before radar contact was lost. An exam of the crash site revealed the acft had crashed in a nose down, right wing low attitude. No preimpact part failure or malfunction of the acft was found. According to witness info, the sky condition in the acdnt area was obscured.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N756WH
- Reported as
- Cessna TR182
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- R18201178
- Airframe hours
- 1,309
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-L3C5D, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- P.C. Transport Inc.
- Registered owner
- Phillip M. Christopherson
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 6, 1988 · 155 hours before
- Departed
- ALI · Alice, TX
- Destination
- E41 · Big Lake, TX
- Airport
- NONE
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
- 58
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 2,036 total · 31 in this make and model · 2,036 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- 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.