- Date
- May 7, 2018, 17:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Albuquerque, NM
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N632EPCessna 182
- Defining event
- Landing: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 24, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180507004899A
- Case key
- 97205
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 decision to continue flight in mountainous terrain with downdraft conditions, which necessitated a precautionary landing on unsuitable terrain.
Findings · 3
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, while en route, the air was "unstable and choppy," and the airplane did not climb as expected. He added that the airplane "managed to climb to 9,500 [ft mean sea level] and maintain the altitude" but then had a "sudden and violent drop in altitude followed by a down draft." Subsequently, the airplane descended to 500 ft above the ground and was between two hills and still "struggling to climb." He observed what appeared to be a dirt plateau followed by a cliff and decided to land on the plateau to "avoid possibly falling off the cliff." During the landing, the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, empennage, and right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, while enroute, the air was "unstable and choppy", and the airplane did not climb as expected. He added that the airplane "managed to climb to 9,500 [ft mean sea level] and maintain the altitude", but then had a "sudden and violent drop in altitude followed by a down draft". Subsequently, the airplane descended to 500 ft above the ground, the airplane was between two hills and still "struggling to climb". He observed what appeared to be a dirt plateau followed by a cliff, and decided to land on the plateau to "avoid possibly falling off the cliff". During the landing, the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, empennage and right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N632EP
- Reported as
- Cessna 182 (Q)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18267695
- Built
- 1980
- Airframe hours
- 4,070
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-470 SERIES, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 20, 2017
- Departed
- CNM · Carlsbad, NM
- Destination
- FMN · Farmington, NM
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Handheld GPS
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
- 31
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 14, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 112 total · 59 in this make and model · 67 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.17 inHg
- Turbulence
- Severe
- Observed at
- KAEG, 28 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 1, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.1 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.