- Date
- October 6, 1988, 18:08 local (Oct 7, 1988, 01:08 UTC)
- Place
- Salinas, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N1787RCessna 182R
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report June 11, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19881006045739A
- Case key
- 26180
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 failed to follow published missed approach procedures. Factors contributing to the accident were the pilot lack of recent experience in type of operation, instrument go-around procedures, and the cloud covered mountainous terrain.
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
After receiving a limited weather briefing that reported an overcast sky at 1,500 feet AGL at his destination, the pilot tookoff without filing a flight plan. Upon arriving at his destination, above the weather, the pilot requested and received an ILS approach to the airport. After passing the initial approach fix and descending to 2,200 feet MSL outside the outer marker, the pilot informed the air traffic controller that he was executing a missed approach. This was the last communication with the aircraft. Approximately one minute and thirty five seconds later the controller heard an ELT signal. The aircraft's wreckage was found at 0700 hours PDT on October 7, 1988, by a ground search party. The wreckage was at an elevation of 2,350 feet, on the side of a 3,560 foot high mountain, about 7 miles south of the ILS approach course. Another pilot who was airborne in the area about 30 minutes after the accident pilot reported his missed approach stated that the cloud tops were at 2,400 feet.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1787R
- Reported as
- Cessna 182R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- R18200560
- Airframe hours
- 1,218
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-J3C5D, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Eugene E. Urgo
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 3, 1988 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- FAT · Fresno, CA
- Destination
- WVI · Watsonville, CA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- SNS · Salinas Mun.
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
- 70
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 8,000 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 300° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,800 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SNS, 13 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.