# NTSB WPR23FA137: Cessna 182S, N314FR, Alcova, WY, March 21, 2023 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report - Date: March 21, 2023, 16:01 local (22:01 UTC) - Place: Alcova, WY - Coordinates: 42.457831, -106.64491 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.4578&lon=-106.6449&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 1 fatal - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Western Pacific Region - Parties: Textron Aviation Air Safety Investigation, Lycoming Engines Inc., Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 106928 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR23FA137 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/106928/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=106928 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR23FA137 ## Probable cause The airplane’s encounter with low level wind shear associated with moderate turbulence, which resulted in a loss of airplane control. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Turbulence: terrain induced turbulence](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032010): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Effect on equipment (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 182S, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032010/cases.md?model=2072701), [All aircraft, 70 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032010/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters: altitude](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062012): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Attain/maintain not possible (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 182S, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062012/cases.md?model=2072701), [All aircraft, 1,310 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062012/cases.md) - [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 182S, 12 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=2072701), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute: Turbulence encounter](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360); cases with it: [Cessna 182S, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360/sequence.md?model=2072701), [All aircraft, 423 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360/sequence.md) - [Enroute: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 182S, 6 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md?model=2072701), [All aircraft, 5,002 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot was conducting a low-altitude pipeline patrol flight in day visual meteorological conditions when the airplane descended and impacted terrain. According to the flight track data, the airplane overflew Casper, Wyoming, and then turned to a southwest heading for about 30 miles until radar contact was lost; the airplane’s altitude was about 600 ft above ground level (agl) and about 950 ft northwest of the accident site. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. A search of archived weather information from Leidos Flight Service and ForeFlight indicated that there were no flight plans or weather briefings requested by the pilot on the day of the accident. It is unknown what weather information, if any, the accident pilot checked or received before departure and through the time of the accident. The weather forecast information applicable for the accident time indicated an AIRMET TANGO advisory was valid for the accident location and time. Supplemental turbulence information in the form of Graphical Turbulence Guidance (GTG) also indicated light to moderate turbulence for aircraft the size of the accident airplane within 500 to 1,000 ft agl at the time of the accident. A cold front was identified near the accident site, and mountainous terrain environment, with recorded wind of 20 to 30 knots between the surface and 10,000 ft agl, which made for the potential of low-level wind shear (LLWS) and low-level turbulence. At Casper/Natrona County International Airport (CPR), Casper, Wyoming, recorded wind gusts were as high as 31 knots. These conditions were likely also present above the terrain at the accident site, and it is likely the accident flight encountered light to moderate turbulence and LLWS. ## Factual narrative The FAA’s Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C) describes some environmental factors associated with mountain flying. The handbook states, in part, the following: Turbulence, or a large variation in wind velocity over a short distance, can cause upset and Loss of control in-flight (LOC-I.) Maintain awareness of conditions that can lead to various types of turbulence, such as clear air turbulence, mountain waves, wind shear, and thunderstorms or microbursts. In addition to environmentally-induced turbulence, wake turbulence from other aircraft can lead to upset and LOC-I. The Airplane Flying Handbook defines wind shear as a sudden, drastic shift in wind speed, direction, or both that may occur in the horizontal or vertical plane. On March 21, 2023, about 1601 mountain daylight time (MDT), a Cessna 182S, N314FR, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Alcova, Wyoming. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 aerial observation flight. The operator reported that the pilot departed Evanston-Uinta County Airport - Burns Field (EVW) Evanston, Wyoming, for an aerial pipeline patrol flight. The operator's flight tracking data showed the airplane's flight track about 30 miles south of Casper, Wyoming, near the accident location in mountainous terrain. The flight track showed no further movement from the accident area and the operator notified Flight Service of a possible mishap. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) subsequently issued an Alert Notice (ALNOT). A company pilot reported that he received an “SOS alert” message about the possible downed airplane and proceeded to the area. He and another company pilot arrived at the coordinates provided and conducted a search for the plane. He flew over the area for about an hour before having to land for fuel. After he departed the area, the other pilot located the airplane. During his flight he had been flying at approximately 1,000 ft agl and noted that it was “fairly windy” and gusty that day. He also experienced some areas of moderate and mountain wave turbulence. It had been bumpy most of the day, but north of Laramie, Wyoming, it seemed to worsen. He did not encounter any significant up or down drafts, but he stated that he would not have been surprised if other pilots had. Recorded automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data showed that the accident airplane overflew Casper at 15:40:48 and turned to a southwest heading for about 30 miles until data was lost at 16:00:44, about 950 ft northwest of the accident site, as seen in Figure 1. The airplane wreckage was located by a search and rescue air unit later that evening. Figure 1. View of accident airplane ADS-B flight track data An autopsy of the pilot was performed by the Natrona County Coroner's Office, Evansville, Wyoming, which listed the cause of death as "massive blunt force injuries." Toxicology testing performed at the FAA ForensicSciences Laboratory was negative for all drugs tested. The accident site was located north of a cold front, on the cool side of the front. Fronts can act as lifting mechanisms to help produce clouds and precipitation if sufficient moisture is present. No cloud cover was indicated over the accident site, with a west-east oriented cumulus cloud band in between the accident site and KCPR. The observations from the KCPR Automated Surface Observing Systems (ASOS) around the accident time identified VFR conditions with winds gusting as high as 31 kts. A High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) sounding for the accident site indicated the possibility of LLWS and light clear air turbulence (CAT) between the surface and 500 ft agl. Weather forecast information for the accident time indicated that AIRMET Tango was valid for the accident site area at the accident time. AIRMET Tango forecast moderate turbulence below 16,000 ft mean sea level (msl). In addition, archived GTG information indicated light to moderate turbulence conditions between 500 and 1,000 ft agl. The Graphical Forecasts for Aviation (GFA) products issued by the Aviation Weather Center (AWC) before the accident flight indicated visual flight rules (VFR) conditions with a westerly wind of 10 to 15 kts gusting to 25 kts. A search of archived information indicated that the accident pilot did not request weather information from Leidos Flight Service. A search of the ForeFlight database did not indicate any flights plans or weather briefings requested by the pilot on the day of the accident. It is unknown what weather information, if any, the accident pilot checked or received before departure and through the time of the accident. The operator reported that the accident pilot was hired in May of 2021 and had flown the pipeline route multiple times over the previous 11 months. The pilot had accrued about 2 years of low-level pipeline patrol in similar mountainous terrain. Examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane impacted mountainous terrain about 30 miles southwest of CPR at an elevation of about 6,990 ft msl. The wreckage came to rest upright and was oriented along a northeast heading on the ridgeline/eastern slope, near the top of the mountain. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N314FR](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N314FR), registered now, S/N 18280260, built 1998 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 182S - Registry model: [Cessna 182S](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-182s) (registry code 2072701) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming IO-540 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-series) (registry code 41530, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 18280260 - Year built: 1998 - Airframe hours: 7620.8 - Engines: LYCOMING IO-540-AB1A5 230 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Aerial observation, Part 91 - Operator: Hawkeye Helicopter LLC - Registered owner: Hawkeye Helicopter LLC - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, March 14, 2023, 30 hours before - Departed: EVW, Evanston, WY - Equipment: Stall warning system, ADS-B, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Handheld GPS, Satellite tracking device, Onboard weather ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 49; injuries: fatal; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; seat: left; toxicology performed; flight hours: 1,630 total, 1,040 as pilot in command ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 300° at 17 knots, gusting 25 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 43 °F, dew point 16 °F - Altimeter: 29.71 inHg - Turbulence: Unknown - Observed at: KCPR, 27 nm away - METAR: KCPR 212153Z 30017G25KT 10SM CLR 06/M09 A2971 RMK AO2 PK WND 27027/2055 SLP058 T00561094 $ ## 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 20230321002629A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20230321002629A), Mar 21, 2023: Cessna 182S, Casper, WY, Substantial damage, 1 fatal. Aircraft for unknown reasons crashed into rough terrain pilot sustained fatal injuries ## Other investigations on N314FR (2) 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. - [NTSB CEN11CA492](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN11CA492), Jul 19, 2011: Cessna 182S (N314FR), Meeker, CO, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's inadvertent flight into a downdraft, which resulted in an in-flight collision with trees. - [NTSB MIA01LA160](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA01LA160), Jun 12, 2001: Cessna 182S (N314FR), Corolla, NC, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilots failure to maintain directional control during landing flare and touchdown resulting in the airplane touching down on the left side of the runway and the left wing contacting trees. ## Docket (14 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 23, 2024, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=106928. 42.5 MB in all. - Weather factual report (item 1, PDF, 23 pages, 1.7 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15806245&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=WPR23FA137_weatherfactualSuffernfinal-Rel.pdf - Weather - attachment 1 (item 2, GIF, 15.7 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15805663&FileExtension=gif&FileName=attachment1_animation_SAT_VIS_2106to2306utc-Rel.gif - Weather - attachment 2 (item 3, PDF, 5 pages, 2.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15806117&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=attachment2_GFA-Rel.pdf - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 4, PDF, 11 pages, 5.7 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15413667&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Operator%206120_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Pilot rated witness statement (item 5, PDF, 2 pages, 183 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15416950&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Pilot%20Statement%20N314FR%20accident_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Airframe and engine examination (item 6, PDF, 11 pages, 1.7 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16363550&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=WPR23FA137%20Airframe%20and%20Engine%20Examination-Rel.pdf - ADS-B data (item 7, KMZ, 382 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17754774&FileExtension=kmz&FileName=20230321_A3563A_510700394-Rel.kmz - ADS-B csv data (item 8, XLSX, 7.9 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17754242&FileExtension=xlsx&FileName=20230321_A3563A_510700394_ADSB-Rel.xlsx - Operator flight track data (item 9, KML, 70 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17754846&FileExtension=kml&FileName=N314FR-Rel.kml - Operator flight track data csv file (item 10, CSV, 13 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17755206&FileExtension=csv&FileName=N314FR-Rel.csv - Statement of party representatives to NTSB investigation (item 11, PDF, 29 pages, 1.7 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16262563&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Party%20Forms_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Release of aircraft wreckage, NTSB form 6120.15 (item 12, PDF, 1 page, 1.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16532782&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Wreckage%20Release%20Form_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Toxicological report (item 13, PDF, 1 page, 101 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15483840&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Tox%20Report_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Photo array (item 14, PDF, 3 pages, 3.7 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16367971&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photo%20Array_redacted-Rel.pdf 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.