- Date
- July 21, 1995, 13:45 local (20:45 UTC)
- Place
- Kneeland, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N9437MCessna 182P
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 27, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950721019259A
- Case key
- 29159
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 non-instrument rated pilot's decision to takeoff in known adverse weather conditions, which resulted in spatial disoreintation and an in-flight loss of control.
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
Following a weather briefing in which he was advised of the fog and multiple layered cloud conditions, the non-instrument rated pilot elected to takeoff from an airport in mountainous terrain. Ground witnesses said the visibility was about 2,000 feet when the pilot departed, and that the aircraft disappeared into the clouds about 50 feet above ground. Shortly thereafter, the engine RPM was heard to increase followed by a thud noise. The airplane was found a day later about 1 mile northwest of the airport at an elevation about 1,500 feet below the airport elevation. The search for the airplane was impeded by the foggy weather conditions.
Factual narrative
On July 21, 1995, at 1345 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 182P, N9437M, collided with trees about 1 mile northwest of the Kneeland Airport, Kneeland, California, after takeoff from runway 33. The airplane was being operated by Sacramento Aero Services, Inc., Sacramento, California, and was rented to the certificated private pilot for a personal flight. The airplane was destroyed and the non-instrument rated pilot was fatally injured. The flight was destined for Natomas Field, Sacramento. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was opened for the flight.
At 0736 hours, the non-instrument pilot contacted the Arcata Flight Service Station and asked the air traffic control (ATC) specialist questions about local weather conditions. The pilot inquired as to the top of fog in the Kneeland area. The ATC specialist indicated to the pilot there were no local reporting stations at the Kneeland airport. The ATC specialist indicated the closest top report was from a pilot conducting an instrument approach to the Arcata airport, and that the pilot indicated the tops were at 3,000 feet above mean sea level.
Witnesses reported the airplane departed the Kneeland airport about 1345 hours, with ground visibility about 2,000 feet due to fog. One witness stated after the airplane disappeared in the fog, the engine rpm was heard to increase followed by a "thud." The witnesses then departed the airport believing the pilot had departed without incident.
When the airplane failed to arrive at the destination airport, a search was initiated, which was impeded by the fog. The wreckage was found about 1630 hours on July 22, 1995, about 1 mile northwest of the airport in lower terrain about 1,500 feet below the elevation of the airport.
The wreckage was recovered and transported to Sacramento, where it was examined by FAA inspectors from the Oakland Flight Standards District Office. There was no evidence of mechanical failure or malfunction found during the FAA's inspection.
The wreckage was released to representatives of the owner on July 26, 1995.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9437M
- Reported as
- Cessna 182P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18264755
- Airframe hours
- 4,727
- Engine
- Continental IO-470, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Sacramento Aero Services, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 25, 1995 · 138 hours before
- Departed
- O19
- Destination
- Q96 · Sacramento, CA
- Airport
- O19 · Kneeland, runway 33, 2,270 × 50 ft, asphalt
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
- 44
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 182 total · 22 in this make and model · 114 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ACV, 17 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.
Other investigations on N9437M · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.