Cessna 177RG Mountain Collision Near Mena, Arkansas (N2526V)

Accident Overview and Personnel Details On November 11, 2008, at approximately 1400 CST, a 1975 Cessna 177RG, registration N2526V, was destroyed after colliding with mountainous terrain near Mena, Arkansas. The aircraft was owned and operated by the 61-year-old commercial pilot, who was the only person aboard and was fatally injured. The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings in single- and multi-engine land, single-engine sea, and instrument airplane, as well as a flight instructor certificate. He had accumulated 22,228 total flight hours, including 2,525 hours in the Cessna 177. At the time of the accident, he was working as a regional sales manager for Garmin, Ltd., and was traveling to San Antonio International Airport to present at an avionics seminar. ## Flight Operations and Meteorological Conditions The aircraft departed Willow Springs Memorial Airport (1H5) in Willow Springs, Missouri, en route to San Antonio International Airport (SAT). The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, and no flight plan was filed. Instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) prevailed at the time of the accident. Weather reports along the route indicated deteriorating conditions, transitioning from marginal visual flight rules (VFR) to IFR. At 1400, the automated surface observing system at Mena Intermountain Municipal Airport (MEZ), located approximately 5 miles southeast of the accident site, reported an overcast ceiling at 1,100 feet. Witnesses at the scene described heavy fog with visibility ranging from 50 feet to one-quarter mile. ## Wreckage and Survival Factors The wreckage was found on the rising north face of a mountainous ridge, approximately 20 feet north of State Highway 88 and 10 feet below the ridge crest. The aircraft impacted trees and terrain, with the propeller showing cuts on two trees at the initial strike location. The airplane came to rest upright on a measured heading of 190 degrees magnetic. Both wings and the cabin area were present but mostly consumed by fire. The pilot was found unbelted, nearly completely outside the aircraft, positioned at a 90-degree angle to the left side of the fuselage, face down, with his feet trapped in the burning wreckage. A witness attempted to move the pilot but was unable to get close enough due to the intense flames. ## Technical Examination and Findings The airframe and engine were examined at Dawson Aircraft, Inc., in Clinton, Arkansas, on January 13, 2009. The engine was rotated by hand, and no defects were noted that would have precluded it from making power prior to impact. Fuel injector nozzles were clear, and the fuel injection flow divider showed no issues. Avionics equipment, including multiple Garmin units, sustained catastrophic damage from smoke, heat, and fire. A surviving non-volatile memory chip from the attitude heading reference unit was recovered, but no accident-related data was identified. An autopsy determined the cause of death as hypertensive arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with no carbon monoxide, cyanide, ethanol, or drugs detected in toxicology tests.