History of Flight
On October 18, 2012, at 1212 mountain standard time, a Cessna 182P, registration N20939, collided with terrain near Yucca, Arizona. The pilot, who owned the airplane, was operating under 14 CFR Part 91 and held a private pilot certificate. The airplane sustained substantial damage from impact forces and a postcrash fire. The cross-country personal flight departed Lake Havasu, Arizona, around 1200, with a planned destination of Eagle Airfield, Fort Mohave, Arizona. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
This was the first flight following an annual inspection. A witness spoke with the pilot about the completed work and accompanied him to the airplane. The witness observed the pilot check the fuel tank levels prior to departure, and the pilot stated there were 30 gallons in the left tank and 26 gallons in the right tank. They discussed the weather and differences between this airplane and the pilot's previous aircraft. The pilot then boarded and taxied for takeoff.
A Bureau of Land Management Ranger parked at the north end of the Sante Fe Ranch on-ramp to Interstate 40 heard the airplane crash into the mountain and responded to the site. A motorist on I-40 observed the airplane fly into the mountain and burst into flames.
Personnel Information
FAA records indicated the 73-year-old pilot held a private pilot certificate for single-engine land airplanes. He was issued a third-class medical certificate on June 28, 2011, with a limitation requiring corrective lenses. On his most recent medical application, the pilot reported 780 total flight hours with 20 hours in the prior 6 months.
Aircraft Information
The Cessna 182P, serial number 18261309, had a total airframe time of 5,454.1 hours at the last annual inspection on October 12, 2012. The engine, a Continental Motors O-470-R (serial number 212175-R-R), had 3,004.1 total hours and 293.1 hours since major overhaul at the last inspection.
Meteorological Information
The nearest official weather station, Kingman, Arizona (KIGM), 30 nautical miles north of the accident site at an elevation of 3,449 feet, reported at 1151 MST: wind from 350 degrees at 7 knots; visibility 10 miles; clear skies; temperature 25°C (77°F); dew point -13°C (9°F); altimeter 30.15 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
NTSB, Cessna, and Continental Motors investigators examined the wreckage on October 20, 2012. The crash site was high on a peak with a terrain slope of about 30 degrees. The debris path ran along a magnetic bearing of 020 degrees, extending about 184 feet. The first identified point of contact consisted of three parallel ground scars; the outer two were 9 feet 6 inches apart, consistent with the main landing gear spacing of 9 feet 1 inch for the Cessna 182. A propeller blade tip piece and a wheel pant piece were found ahead of the scars. Green lens fragments were on the right side of the debris field.
The propeller separated from the engine aft of the propeller flange. The main wreckage included the engine, fuselage, wings, and tail; wing struts were in the main debris field. The main wreckage burned and was within a scorched area. Control continuity was confirmed; the flap cable was splayed at the right wing root, and the flap actuator was not extended, indicating flaps up. The fuel selector valve was not located. The elevator trim tab actuator separated. The engine came to rest inverted with the oil pan crushed and holed; the carburetor separated. All major components were accounted for.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Mohave County Coroner determined the cause of death as blunt force trauma. FAA toxicology testing found no carbon monoxide, cyanide, or volatiles. Rosuvastatin was detected in blood and urine.
Tests and Research
Engine examination at Air Transport in Phoenix, Arizona, on October 21, 2012, revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. A Garmin GPS496 recovered from the debris field provided data for the last flight, which began at Lake Havasu City Airport and ended near the accident site after about 17 minutes. The track initially headed northwest, then turned north-northeasterly and later northeast. It crossed I-40 and remained nearly parallel within a mile of the interstate. For the last four data points over 30 seconds, the heading changed about 15 degrees left. The track crossed a hill before the last point. The maximum altitude, 2,420 feet, occurred 10 minutes into the flight; thereafter, altitude steadily decreased along a relatively straight track to the last recorded point at 1,782 feet.