History of Flight
On May 28, 2011, at approximately 1800 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna R172K (registration N9831V) collided with terrain about 4 miles north-northwest of Cold Springs, Nevada. The airplane was owned and operated privately under 14 CFR Part 91. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The instrument-rated private pilot (the pilot), the airplane owner (who held a private pilot certificate), and a passenger sustained fatal injuries. The route of flight experienced a combination of visual and instrument meteorological conditions. At the time of the accident, the pilot was not operating under a flight plan or visual flight rules flight following. The airplane had departed Roseburg, Oregon, at 1507 under an instrument flight rules clearance.
According to personnel at the Roseburg fixed-base operator (FBO), the airplane owner had likely flown to Roseburg on Friday, May 27. On Saturday, the owner contacted the FBO to find an instrument-rated pilot who could fly the airplane to Albuquerque, New Mexico, and be reimbursed for expenses. The pilot was contacted and arrived at the airport to check the airplane and fill the fuel tanks. The pilot intended to fly the owner and passenger to Reno International Airport and then return to Roseburg as weather improved. The owner of Ocean Air, a flight school, stated that the owner needed an instrument-rated pilot to fly the airplane out of Roseburg. The pilot and owner flew a pattern for familiarization before departure. The pilot was not paid but was reimbursed for expenses and was building time for his commercial rating.
The airplane was reported missing on May 31 by the pilot's family, and an Alert Notice was issued. The wreckage was located at 1915 PDT on May 31.
Personnel Information
The 47-year-old pilot held a private pilot certificate with single-engine land and instrument ratings. He held a second-class medical certificate issued June 22, 2009, with the restriction that he must wear corrective lenses. He was located in the left seat. According to a friend, he was accruing flight hours for his commercial certificate. His logbook showed 342 total hours, 12 hours in the last 30 days, 59.4 hours simulated instrument, and 16.1 hours actual instrument conditions.
The 41-year-old owner held a private pilot certificate for single-engine land and an airframe and powerplant mechanic certificate. He held a third-class medical certificate issued July 8, 2008, with no limitations. He was located in the right seat.
Aircraft Information
The four-seat, high-wing, fixed-gear airplane (serial number R1722351) was manufactured in 1977. It was powered by a Continental Motors IO-360-K engine and equipped with a McCauley 2A34C203/90DCA-14 propeller. The airplane was fueled to capacity on May 28 at Roseburg. Maintenance records were not located; a receipt from Crown Aviation, Everett, Washington, showed transponder, altimeter, and static system checks in December 2010. Crown Aviation did not perform annual inspections. Tachometer time at that test was 3,016.61 hours.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane impacted steep, rocky, mountainous terrain at an elevation of about 6,400 feet mean sea level. The wreckage was confined to the impact area at N 39° 44.037', W 119° 59.57'. The aircraft was on a heading of east-northeast; the nose was at 080° magnetic, the empennage at 020° magnetic. The cockpit was compressed downward; the empennage remained intact. All control surfaces were secured. The right wing leading-edge was crushed aft from the wingtip inboard to the strut attach point. The left wing had underside crush damage. Flap actuator measured 1.8 inches, indicating 5-10 degrees of flap extension. The elevator trim was extended 2.0 inches, beyond the maximum up limit of 1.88 inches. All seats were separated from the floor assembly and had compression damage. Occupants wore their restraint systems.
The airplane's electronic locator transmitter (ELT) was found in the "off" position and did not activate; batteries were corroded and due for replacement in March 2011. Examination of recovered airframe and flight control components revealed no evidence of pre-impact mechanical malfunction.
Instruments found included a tachometer (3059.38 hours), clock, vertical speed indicator face, altimeter face (Kollsman 29.73), airspeed indicator, attitude indicator, directional gyro, automatic direction finder, turn coordinator, marker beacons, and an Apollo IImorrow FlyBuddy GPS. A damaged Honeywell Bendix King housing yielded no data. Gyros showed rotational scoring; no pre-impact malfunction was found.
The engine (six-cylinder, normally aspirated) sustained extensive impact damage; the propeller separated. Cylinder number 6 separated; the piston remained attached. Borescope showed normal coloration; no abnormal thermal discoloration. Spark plugs showed varied conditions; magnetos produced spark. Fuel control disassembly found no anomalies. The vacuum pump rotor was cracked; a small piece of material consistent with a fractured fitting was found. No pre-impact mechanical malfunction was found.
The propeller was in multiple pieces. Blade A was separated, fractured mid-span and near tip, with leading-edge gouging and chordwise striations. Blade B was separated and intact with chordwise striations. No pre-impact malfunction was identified.
Communications
Air traffic control records showed the pilot departed on an IFR flight plan to Reno, later canceled IFR, received flight following services, and changed destination to Susanville Municipal Airport, Susanville, California. Radar services were terminated due to poor coverage, and the pilot acknowledged termination. Susanville is about 58 miles northwest of the accident site. The last recorded radar return was 98 miles northwest of Reno and 76 miles northwest of the accident site.
Meteorological Information
A Safety Board meteorologist completed a weather study. Surface analysis at 1700 PDT showed a low pressure center in eastern Utah with a stationary front extending into southern California. Station models near the accident indicated partly cloudy skies; nearby California stations indicated overcast. Temperatures were 4-10°C; dew points near -1°C. Unofficial observations from a station 3 miles southeast at 5,150 feet reported at 1731: temperature 2.8°C, dew point 0°C, wind 246° at 10.5 knots gusting 15.6 knots, altimeter 29.68 inHg. At 1801: temperature 2.2°C, dew point -0.4°C, wind 246° at 11.3 knots gusting 15.6 knots, altimeter 29.65 inHg.
Reno's official reports: at 1655, wind 320° at 18 knots gusting 25 knots, visibility 10 miles, temperature 8°C, dew point 0°C, altimeter 29.70 inHg, scattered at 5,000 ft, broken at 12,000 ft, with showers and mountain obscuration. At 1727, wind 290° at 10 knots, visibility 10 miles, temperature 7°C, dew point 1°C, altimeter 29.75 inHg, broken at 2,800 ft, light rain and mountain obscuration. At 1755, wind 300° at 12 knots gusting 19 knots, visibility 8 miles, temperature 5°C, dew point 2°C, altimeter 29.74 inHg, broken at 1,900 ft, overcast at 2,400 ft, rain began at 1715.
Three AIRMETs were active: ZULU for moderate icing below FL220, TANGO for moderate turbulence below FL180, and SIERRA for mountain obscuration. Area forecasts predicted broken ceilings at 8,000 ft msl with light snow/mist or light rain showers. An urgent Winter Weather Advisory for snow was in effect. Current Icing Potential products indicated moderate to high probability of icing at 7,000, 9,000, and 11,000 feet, with super cooled large droplet threat at 9,000 and 11,000 feet and light icing severity.
Medical and Pathological Information
Autopsies on the pilot and owner were completed June 2, 2011. Findings included multiple blunt force injuries; cause of death for both was attributed to injuries due to an aircraft collision. Forensic toxicology on the pilot was positive for amphetamine, methamphetamine, and trimethoprim; no ethanol detected. For the owner, toxicology was negative for volatiles and tested drugs.
Probable Cause
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