Cessna 182P N9437M

Summary

On 21 July 1995 at about 20:45 local time, a Cessna 182P registered N9437M was involved in an accident near Kneeland, California, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

21 July 1995 at 20:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Kneeland, California, United States

Nearest airport

Kneeland (O19)

Coordinates

40.6700, -123.8806

Aircraft

Cessna 182P

Registration

N9437M

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Sacramento

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX95LA263

1 person died.

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.