Cessna 182T N434CP

Summary

On 23 November 2024 at about 18:15 local time, a Cessna 182T registered N434CP, operated by Civil Air Patrol, was involved in an accident near Drake, Colorado, United States. 3 people were on board and 2 died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

23 November 2024 at 18:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Drake, Colorado, United States

Coordinates

40.4415, -105.3092

Aircraft

Cessna 182T

Registration

N434CP

Category

Airplane

Year built

2009

Engines

1

Operator

Civil Air Patrol

Operating rule

Public Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fort Collins → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN25FA047

2 people died.

The pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control while maneuvering in mountainous terrain. Contributing was mountain wave turbulence in the area.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The purpose of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) flight was to conduct training and aerial photography for emergency response planning. According to ADS-B data for the flight, the airplane departed and flew to the area to be photographed. The airplane then made several north-to-south and east-to-west orbits over the area before turning east toward the departure airport. The airplane then turned to the north, made a left turn to the south followed almost immediately by a right turn to the northwest. The airplane’s flight track ended shortly after. The mission observer on board the airplane reported that, after the photography mission was completed, the pilot maneuvered the airplane over trees about 1,500 above ground level (agl) and heading toward higher terrain. The observer then heard the pilot say, “Oh [expletive].” The pilot lowered the airplane’s nose and started to turn the airplane. The observer stated that the airplane seemed to drop and that it probably encountered a downdraft. He heard the airplane hitting trees, and the next thing that he remembered was being on the ground. A CAP flight that landed after the accident airplane had taken off reported having experienced mountain wave turbulence in the same area that the accident airplane had been operating. The flight did not communicate this to the accident flight, and the CAP had not relayed this information to the accident airplane’s pilot.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.