# NTSB LAX94LA169: Cessna 175, N6727E, Currie, NV, March 19, 1994 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: March 19, 1994, 13:00 local (21:00 UTC) - Place: Currie, NV - Location: 40.2666° N, 114.7431° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Currie, NV, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.2666&lon=-114.7431&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 2 minor - Status: Completed, report November 14, 1994 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 28701 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX94LA169 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/28701/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX94LA169 ## Probable cause the pilot's poor weather evaluation and continued flight into instrument meteorological conditions. The snow, mountain obscuration, and icing conditions were factors in this accident. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight encounter with weather, cruise - normal - weather condition - snow (contributing factor) - weather condition - obscuration (contributing factor) - weather condition - icing conditions (contributing factor) - weather evaluation - poor, pilot in command (cause) - vfr flight into imc - continued, pilot in command (cause) - Nose over, landing - roll - wing - ice - precautionary landing - performed, pilot in command - terrain condition - high vegetation - landing gear,nose gear - overload ## Analysis THE PILOT CONTINUED FLIGHT FROM VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS TO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. THE PILOT ENCOUNTERED THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS AFTER RECEIVING TERMINAL WEATHER REPORTS FROM A UNICOM STATION LOCATED AT AN AIRPORT ALONG THE PLANNED FLIGHT ROUTE. ICING CONDITIONS, 1/4 MILE VISIBILITY IN SNOW SHOWERS, AND MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION PREVENTED THE PILOT FROM CONTINUING FLIGHT TO AN AIRPORT. THE PILOT SELECTED A ROAD AS A LANDING AREA, BUT LANDED SHORT DUE TO ICE BUILD UP ON THE AIRFRAME. ## Factual narrative On March 19, 1994, at 1300 hours Pacific standard time, a Cessna 175, N6727E, nosed over in an open field 17 miles southwest of Currie, Nevada, during a precautionary landing. The pilot/owner was conducting a visual flight rules personal flight to Elko, Nevada. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The certificated commercial pilot and passenger received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at Page, Arizona, at 1000 hours. The pilot obtained a preflight weather briefing at Page, Arizona. The pilot updated his weather briefing in flight by contacting the Ely Airport unicom, Ely, Nevada. The update briefing consisted of the terminal weather at the Ely Airport. The pilot's in-flight observations and destination terminal forecast were for visual meteorological conditions. The pilot encountered adverse weather conditions over mountainous terrain between Ely and Elko, Nevada. The pilot reported 1/4 mile visibility, freezing temperatures, snow showers, and low ceilings obscured the mountain tops. The pilot reversed course to return to Ely. The weather had deteriorated along the route to Ely. The adverse weather had closed in behind the pilot and the airplane's wings were starting to ice. The pilot decided not to attempt flight through mountainous terrain during snow showers and reduced visibility and elected to land. The pilot selected a road as a landing strip. Ice building up on the airframe forced the pilot to land in an open field short of the road. During the landing roll the airplane's nose gear collided with sage brush and collapsed. The airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N6727E](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N6727E-1996-09-16), registration cancelled 1996-09-16, S/N 56227 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 175 - Registry model: [Cessna 175](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-175) (registry code 2072502) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 56227 - Engines: CONTINENTAL GO-300-C 175 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Robillard, James G. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: PGA, PAGE, AZ - Destination: EKO, ELKO, NV ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 56; commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 6,400 total, 150 in this make and model, 6,000 as pilot in command, 120 in the last 90 days, 50 in the last 30 days, 5 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 240° at 11 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 46 °F, dew point 27 °F - Altimeter: 29.00 inHg - Observed at: EKO, 60 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19940319006169A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19940319006169A), Mar 19, 1994: Cessna 175, Currie, NV, Substantial damage. Encountered adverse weather scud runing. Iced up. Elected land on road. Due ice unable. Landed sagebrush. Flipped. From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.