On March 19, 1994, a Cessna 175 (registration N6727E) was involved in an aviation accident near Currie, NV. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: the pilot's poor weather evaluation and continued flight into instrument meteorological conditions. The snow, mountain obscuration, and icing conditions were factors in this accident. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pilot continued from VMC to IMC, encountered icing and low visibility, selected a road for landing but landed short due to ice buildup on the airframe.
Flight and Weather Conditions
The pilot continued flight from visual meteorological conditions (VMC) into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). Prior to this, the pilot had received terminal weather reports from a UNICOM station located at an airport along the planned flight route. The adverse weather encountered included icing conditions, visibility of 1/4 mile in snow showers, and mountain obscuration. These conditions prevented the pilot from continuing flight to an airport.
Landing Attempt
The pilot selected a road as a potential landing area. However, due to ice buildup on the airframe, the aircraft landed short of the intended landing area.