- Date
- December 12, 1982, 08:38 local (16:38 UTC)
- Place
- Merced, CA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N4687FCessna 206
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 12, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 71661
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 transcript revealed that the plt was cleared for an ILS rwy 30 apch approximately 2 mi from the outer marker. The wx given to the plt at that time was indefinite ceiling zero, sky obscured & visibility zero with fog. The plt stated an instrument apch was planned but a clear area was observed south of the arpt. The clear area was entered & an attempt made to fly to the arpt beneath the fog. The acft struck a utility pole west of the rwy 30 localizer course, circled left & crashed. The acft's glide slope receiver sensitivity was found to be below the manufacturer's specifications, which would have resulted in a glide slope "off" indication in the cockpit.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4687F
- Reported as
- Cessna 206
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- P206-0287
- Airframe hours
- 3,854
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-A, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Heisey, Walter Floyd
- Registered owner
- E.W. Sworez Farms, Inc.
- Departed
- C · Bakersfield, CA
- Destination
- C · Merced, CA
- Airport
- MCE · Merced Municipal, runway 30, 5,903 × 150 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 63
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Invalid Medical for flight
- Flight hours
- 661 total · 661 in this make and model · 521 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Temperature
- 100 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MCE