- Date
- May 15, 2013, 15:15 local (22:15 UTC)
- Place
- Carson City, NV
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N911HECessna 182P
- Defining event
- Enroute-climb to cruise: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 23, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20130515007219A
- Case key
- 86908
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's failure to maintain aircraft control after an encounter with downdrafts while flying over mountainous terrain.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot was on a personal scenic tour flight; the airplane was climbing southwest, and approaching 9,000 feet mean sea level. He planned to cross a mountain saddle between 400 and 500 feet above ground level. The flight encountered a strong downdraft; the airspeed dropped to about 80 mph,and the airplane stopped climbing. It then encountered another downdraft, which resulted in the airplane descending. The pilot attempted to arrest the descent by applying full engine power, but was unsuccessful. He maneuvered the airplane to avoid some trees before impacting the rising terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the tail section. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operations.
Factual narrative
The pilot was on a personal scenic tour flight; the airplane was climbing southwest, and approaching 9,000 feet mean sea level. He planned to cross a mountain saddle between 400 and 500 feet above ground level. The flight encountered a strong downdraft; the airspeed dropped to about 80 mph,and the airplane stopped climbing. It then encountered another downdraft, which resulted in the airplane descending. The pilot attempted to arrest the descent by applying full engine power, but was unsuccessful. He maneuvered the airplane to avoid some trees before impacting the rising terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the tail section. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N911HE
- Reported as
- Cessna 182P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18261419
- Airframe hours
- 4,309
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-470 SERIES, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 3, 2012 · 124 hours before
- Departed
- CXP · Carson City, NV
- Destination
- CXP · Carson City, NV
- Airport
- CXP · Carson City
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
- 67
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 3, 2012
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 19,880 total · 378 in this make and model · 7,778 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 16 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 18 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- CXP, 7 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 18, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 8.9 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.