Cessna TR182 N757CF

Summary

On 15 July 1997 at about 21:15 local time, a Cessna TR182 registered N757CF was involved in an accident near Panamint Spring, California, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 July 1997 at 21:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Panamint Spring, California, United States

Nearest airport

Panamint Springs Resort (NONE)

Coordinates

36.3007, -117.5907

Aircraft

Cessna TR182

Registration

N757CF

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Camarillo → Stovepipe Wells

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX97FA241

3 people died.

failure of the pilot to attain a proper touchdown point for landing, and his delay in initiating a go-around. Factors relating to the accident were: the pilot's attempt to land at the wrong airport, uphill slope of the runway, high density altitude, and rising terrain beyond the end of the runway.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot received a 1 hour checkout in the aircraft on the day before the accident. Before departing on a flight from Camarillo to Inyokern, & then to Stovepipe Wells, CA, he obtained a preflight weather briefing. During an en route stop at Inyokern, the pilot refueled the airplane before continuing to Stovepipe Wells. Before reaching Stovepipe Wells, the airplane was observed to circle an undesignated/unmaintained airstrip at Panamint Springs Resort. The airstrip at Panamint Springs was the only landing strip between the refueling point & the planned destination, & it was not listed on any aeronautical charts. Also, the runway at Panamint Springs was oriented in about the same direction as the destination airport with runway 25 for landing (uphill) and runway 07 for takeoff (downhill). The destination runway was oriented to 05 and 23. At Panamint Springs, the pilot landed on runway 25 with a tailwind, then attempted a late go-around toward rapidly rising terrain. Witnesses said the aircraft touched down long and fast, then hit a dirt berm near the end of the strip. Subsequently, the aircraft crashed about 1/4 mile beyond the departure end of the runway. Runway 25 at Panamint Springs had an uphill gradient of 5.5 percent and no windsock. The density altitude was about 6,000 feet.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.