- Date
- May 27, 2001, 14:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Pauma Valley, CA
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N8287GCessna 177RG
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 28, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Flt Stnds Dist Office
- FAA report
- 20010527016479A
- Case key
- 52361
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 intentional flight into instrument meteorological conditions and failure to maintain clearance from terrain during an approach for landing under visual flight rules.
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 instrument-rated pilot stated that he was descending in visual flight rules conditions, and was on the extended downwind leg for landing at the destination airport. He intentionally flew into the top of what appeared to be an isolated, "puffy" cloud, expecting to be in the cloud only briefly and to see the runway again on the other side. The cloud was more expansive than he anticipated and the airplane continued to descend in the cloud for a period of time until the pilot saw vegetation on a mountainside a short distance in front of them. The pilot took evasive action and the airplane impacted upsloping mountainous terrain and slid to a stop through heavy sagebrush.
Factual narrative
On May 27, 2001, at 1430 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 177RG, N8287G, was substantially damaged when it impacted mountainous terrain during approach to the Pauma Valley, California, airport. The private certificated pilot and one passenger sustained minor injuries. The owner was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The personal cross-country flight departed Borrego Valley, California, at 1345, and was destined for Pauma Valley. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
The instrument-rated pilot stated that he was descending in visual flight rules conditions, and was on the extended downwind leg for landing on runway 29 at the Pauma Valley airport. He intentionally flew into the top of what appeared to be an isolated, "puffy" cloud, expecting to be in the cloud only briefly and to see the runway again on the other side. The cloud was more expansive than he anticipated and the airplane continued to descend in the cloud for a period of time until the pilot saw vegetation on a mountainside a short distance in front of them. The pilot took evasive action and the airplane impacted upsloping mountainous terrain and slid to a stop through heavy sagebrush.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8287G
- Reported as
- Cessna 177RG
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 177RG0187
- Airframe hours
- 1,801
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A1B6, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Lowell W. Dexter
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 15, 2000 · 98 hours before
- Departed
- L08 · Borrego Springs, CA
- Destination
- 95L · Pauma Valley, CA
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
- 73
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- August 1, 2000
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 7,400 total · 4,800 in this make and model · 7,300 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.85 inHg
- Observed at
- CRQ, 18 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.