WPR13FA017

Before takeoff on the first flight following an annual inspection, a witness talked with the pilot about the work just completed and accompanied the pilot to the airplane. He observed the pilot check the fuel level and said the pilot indicated that there was adequate fuel on board for the flight to his home airport. The pilot then boarded the airplane and taxied for takeoff. A GPS track of the flight indicated that the airplane took off to the northwest, then turned north-northeast then northeast and began to follow an interstate on a relatively straight flight path; the airplane then began a gradual descent before colliding with terrain. On-site examination indicated that the airplane impacted the terrain in a level, upright attitude. It could not be determined why the pilot did not take corrective action to avoid terrain. On-site and a follow-up examination of the engine revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The county medical examiner performed a visual examination only of the pilot. Based on the limited information available, there is no evidence to suggest a medical condition contributed to the accident.

The airplane was a Cessna 182P, serial number 18261309. A review of the airplane's logbooks revealed that the airplane had a total airframe time of 5,454.1 hours at the last annual inspection dated October 12, 2012. The Hobbs hour meter read 293.1 hours at the last inspection. The engine was a Continental Motors, Inc., (CMI) O-470-R, serial number 212175-R-R. Total time recorded on the engine at the last annual inspection was 3,004.1 hours, and time since major overhaul was 293.1 hours. On October 18, 2012, at 1212 mountain standard time (MST), a Cessna 182P, N20939, collided with terrain near Yucca, Arizona. The pilot/owner was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The certified private pilot sustained fatal injuries; the airplane sustained substantial damage from impact forces and a postcrash fire. The cross-country personal flight departed Lake Havasu, Arizona, about 1200, with a planned destination of Eagle Airfield, Fort Mohave, Arizona. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. This was the first flight following an annual inspection. The pilot was returning to his home airport. A witness talked with the pilot about the work just completed, and accompanied the pilot to the airplane. He observed the pilot check the level of the fuel tanks prior to departure, and said the pilot indicated that there were 30 gallons in the left fuel tank and 26 gallons in the right fuel tank. They discussed the beautiful weather, and the differences between this airplane and the pilot's previous airplane. The pilot then boarded the airplane and taxied for takeoff. A Bureau of Land Management Ranger was parked at the north end of the Sante Fe Ranch on-ramp to Interstate 40 (I-40). He heard the airplane crash into the mountain, went to the site, and determined that the pilot had not survived. A motorist on I-40 observed the airplane fly into the mountain, and burst into flames. The Mohave County Coroner completed a visual examination, and ruled the cause of death as blunt force trauma. The FAA Forensic Toxicology Research Team, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, performed toxicological testing of specimens of the pilot. Analysis of the specimens contained no findings for carbon monoxide, cyanide, or volatiles. The report contained the following findings for tested drugs: Rosuvastatin detected in blood, Rosuvastatin detected in urine. The closest official weather observation station was Kingman, Arizona (KIGM), which was 30 nautical miles (nm) north of the accident site at an elevation of 3,449 feet mean sea level (msl). An aviation routine weather report (METAR) for KIGM issued at 1151 MST indicated winds from 350 degrees at 7 knots; visibility 10 miles; skies clear; temperature 25/77 degrees Celsius/Fahrenheit; dew point -13/9 degrees Celsius/Fahrenheit; altimeter 30.15 inches of mercury. A review of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airman records revealed that the73-year-old pilot held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. The pilot was issued a third-class medical certificate on June 28, 2011. It had the limitations that the pilot must wear corrective lenses. No personal flight records were located for the pilot. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) obtained the aeronautical experience listed in this report from a review of the FAA airmen medical records on file in the Airman and Medical Records Center located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The pilot reported on his most recent medical application dated June 28, 2011, that he had a total time of 780 hours with 20 hours logged in the prior 6 months. Investigators from the NTSB and CMI examined the engine at Air Transport, Phoenix, Arizona, on October 21, 2012. A detailed report is in the public docket for this accident. They identified no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the engine. Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) Investigators located a Garmin GPS496 in the debris field, and the NTSB Recorders Division downloaded the data. The track for the last recorded flight began at the Lake Havasu City Airport, and ended in the immediate vicinity of the accident site; the elapsed time was about 17 minutes. The track started toward the northwest, turned to a north-northeasterly track, and then turned to the northeast. The track crossed I-40, and maintained a nearly parallel track within a mile of the interstate. The recorded heading changed about 15 degrees to the north (left) for the last four data points over a time period of 30 seconds. The track crossed over a hill just prior to the last data point. The maximum altitude recorded was 2,420 feet; that was 10 minutes into the flight. After that, the recorded altitude maintained a steady, gradual decrease and a relatively straight track until the last recorded data point at 1,782 feet. Investigators from the NTSB, Cessna, and CMI examined the wreckage at the accident site on October 20, 2012. A detailed report is in the public docket for this accident. They identified no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The crash site was high on a peak; the terrain slope was about 30 degrees. The debris path was along a magnetic bearing of 020 degrees, and extended about 184 feet. The First Identified Point of Contact (FIPC) was three parallel ground scars. The outer two scars were 9 feet 6 inches apart. The Owner's manual for the Cessna 182 indicated that the distance between the main landing gear on this airplane is 9 feet 1 inch. A piece of propeller blade tip was several feet in front of the FIPC along with a piece of main wheel pant. Green lens fragments were on the right side of the debris field and after the FIPC. The propeller was separated from the engine aft of the propeller flange, and was the last piece of wreckage identified. The main wreckage consisted of the engine, fuselage, wings, and tail. Thewing struts separated and were in the main debris field. This main wreckage burned and was in the middle of a scorched area of the debris field. Plexiglass shards and debris outside of the scorched area were not sooty or melted. Control continuity was established. The only disconnect was the flap cable, which was splayed at the right wing root. The Cessna representative noted that the flap actuator was not extended, which indicated that the flaps were up. The fuel selector valve was not located. The elevator trim tab actuator separated. The engine came to rest inverted. The oil pan was crushed upward, and had holes in it. The carburetor separated. All corners of the airframe and engine were accounted for.