- Date
- April 5, 1987, 13:40 local (20:40 UTC)
- Place
- Needles, CA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4828NCessna 182Q
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 29, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870405008289A
- Case key
- 25558
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
A Cessna 182Q collided with an unmarked 50 ft high cable over the Colorado river. The acft was observed flying below the level of the cable rocking its wings to boaters and sunbathers. One witness stated that the acft 'buzzed us, so low, I actually ducked, thinking he would hit us.' The acft then started a climb at which time it collided with the cable. The cable is part of a gage station which measures the height of the Colorado river. The cable spans 548.8 ft between the river banks and is 1 1/8 inches in diameter and constructed with 37 galvanized plow steel strands. The cable crossing is not marked on the phoenix sectional chart, but the crossing falls within the boundaries of a national park service area. Pilots are requested to maintain a minimum altitude of 2,000 ft above the surface of these areas. In addition the FAR 91.79 restricts the operation of an acft to no closer than 500 ft to any person, vessel, vehicle, or structure.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4828N
- Reported as
- Cessna 182Q
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18267398
- Airframe hours
- 1,582
- Engine
- Continental O-470U, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Altoff Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 14, 1986 · 115 hours before
- Departed
- EED · Needles, CA
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 28
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 3,007 total · 115 in this make and model · 2,846 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 45 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- EED, 4 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.