History of Flight
On March 9, 2014, at about 1500 Pacific daylight time, a pilot overflying mountainous terrain approximately 6 miles southeast of Carson City Airport (CXP), Carson City, Nevada, noticed the wreckage of a Cessna 120, N76856. The Carson City Sheriff's Office was notified, and a ground team accessed the wreckage around 1600 that same day. They identified the airplane and determined that the sole person on board had received fatal injuries. That individual was later identified as a private pilot and the registered owner of the airplane. The personal flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91; no FAA flight plan was filed. Neither the day nor time of departure or accident could be determined with certainty.
According to the pilot's girlfriend, the airplane was based at Farias Wheel Airport (NV33) in Smith Valley, Nevada, and the pilot had flown to CXP on March 8 for shopping. Her last communication from the pilot was a text message at 1538 on March 8. Because the pilot occasionally stayed overnight at CXP, she did not report him missing until March 9, around the time the wreckage was spotted.
On-site and subsequent examination revealed that airplane damage and ground scars were consistent with a steeply descending flight path in a steep nose-down attitude, with the engine developing power at impact.
Personnel Information
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records indicated the pilot, age 59, held a flight instructor certificate with single- and multi-engine and instrument airplane ratings. His most recent flight review was completed in April 2013, and his most recent FAA second-class medical certificate was issued in November 2013. His last pilot logbook entry was dated March 2, 2014, showing total flight experience of 4,907.2 hours, including about 3,150 hours in single-engine airplanes.
Aircraft Information
The high-wing, taildragger-configuration airplane was manufactured in 1946. It was equipped with a Continental Motors C-85 series engine rated at 85 horsepower. The pilot purchased the airplane in June 2012. Maintenance records showed the most recent annual inspection was completed on June 2, 2013, at a total time in service of 5,492.27 hours. No unusual or uncorrected items were noted. The airplane was not equipped with a stall warning system or navigation radios. A partially completed FAA Form 337 indicated that seats from a Cessna 150 were installed in 1987 without proper FAA approval, but no evidence suggested these seats adversely affected the flight or survivability.
Meteorological Information
The accident date and time could not be positively established. Conditions at CXP from local noon to sunset on March 8 included clear skies, easterly winds at 10 knots or less, and temperatures between 10 and 17 degrees Celsius. A Pilatus PC-7 pilot reported encountering turbulence and significant up- and downdrafts at about 1245 on March 8, while inbound to CXP near the accident site at about 1,000 feet above ground. Sunset at the accident site occurred at 1759 on March 8.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The impact site was at an elevation of about 6,200 feet msl, 6 miles on a magnetic bearing of 131 degrees from CXP. The site lay near the eastern end of an east-west valley in the mountain range separating the origin and destination airports. The wreckage was on a partially vegetated sandy slope with an incline of about 30 degrees, downslope direction 160 degrees magnetic. The wreckage was tightly contained; the airplane was right side up, aligned on a magnetic heading of about 312 degrees, opposite the heading to the pilot's home airport.
All major components were accounted for. The fuselage was extensively crushed upward and aft; the engine intruded into the cabin, and the instrument panel was severely deformed. The forward cockpit volume was reduced to about 40 percent of original. First responders reported the pilot was in a four-point restraint system with all buckles secured. No evidence of rotation at impact was found. Both wings remained partially attached; the left wing was entangled in a tree, with damage consistent with a 50- to 70-degree descent trajectory. The right wing leading edge was crushed aft. Flight control continuity was confirmed except for impact-related damage. The elevator trim tab was in the neutral position.
The cockpit fuel/engine primer handle was found unlocked and partially extended; it could be stowed and locked. The primer line routed to a single jet in the intake manifold. Both fuel tanks contained fuel, caps were secure, fuel tested negative for water. The fuel selector valve was set to the left tank and unobstructed. No evidence of pre-impact leaks or mechanical abnormalities was observed. Engine examination revealed no non-impact catastrophic failure; crankshaft rotation, thumb compression on all cylinders, valve train continuity, and magneto impulse coupling were verified, with sparks on all ignition leads. The propeller remained attached, almost completely buried in sand, with chordwise scouring and blade bending consistent with powered rotation upon contact.
Additional Information
Several sources were used unsuccessfully to determine the accident date and time. No FAA radio or radar data was found. A Home Depot receipt dated March 8, 2014, at 2:12 pm was located in the wreckage. Two witnesses at CXP reported seeing the airplane depart on March 8: one at about 1400 (engine sounding "awful" and not climbing), another at about 1700. The discrepancy could not be reconciled. The pilot's last text message was at 1538; its content was inconsistent with being sent after departure. The pilot's girlfriend was unsure whether he planned to return on March 8 or March 9. She searched for him and filed a missing persons report on March 9.
The pilot's girlfriend reported that the accident site was not along his normal route. The pilot typically climbed parallel to the mountain range before crossing. The impact site was about 5 miles south of CXP, north of his usual eastbound crossing point. The pilot's daughter stated she had flown with him in other airplanes and felt he flew "uncomfortably close" to terrain, and he would text while flying.
The engine primer system was designed to be locked in the closed position; the airplane manual stated it was not required except at winter temperatures. The cockpit mixture control was found in the full rich position; the carburetor mixture setting could not be determined due to impact damage. The airplane was about 130 lbs below maximum gross weight and within its center of gravity envelope.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Washoe County Medical Examiner's Office conducted an autopsy and determined the cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries. FAA forensic toxicology detected no carbon monoxide, cyanide, or ethanol. The only drug detected was Doxylamine (an antihistamine/sleep aid) in liver and blood, at a blood level of 0.14 percent. The pilot's girlfriend stated he might have taken a sleep aid containing Doxylamine on the evening of March 7.
Aids to Navigation
The airplane was equipped only with a compass. Two expired sectional navigation charts were recovered in the wreckage.