History of Flight
On November 16, 2015, at 1259 mountain standard time, a Cessna 182G, N2440R, impacted wooded mountainous terrain in Sandia Park, New Mexico. The commercial pilot and two passengers were fatally injured, and the airplane was destroyed. The airplane was registered to and operated by Moore Aviation, LLC, Wichita Falls, Texas, under 14 CFR Part 91 as a personal flight. Instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) prevailed at the time, and no flight plan had been filed. The cross-country flight originated from Kickapoo Airport (KCWC), Wichita Falls, Texas, at 0937 central standard time, and was en route to Double Eagle II Airport (KAEG), Albuquerque.
There was no record that the pilot received a weather briefing before departure. Radar data showed the airplane proceeded on course after departure, with the transponder set on mode A (no altitude transmitted). Ground speeds en route were consistent with normal cruise. As the airplane neared the Sandia Mountains, it deviated from the direct course, turning southwest then north.
At 1252:01, the pilot contacted KAEG tower and reported descending out of 13,000 feet, trying to get over weather but unable, and being "kind of in between layers." The pilot expressed intent to shoot an ILS and was given the localizer frequency and told to contact Albuquerque (KABQ) tower for a short-range IFR clearance. At 1252:45, the pilot contacted KABQ, reporting being 5 miles east of KAEG and unintentionally caught in weather. The controller assigned a beacon code but could not locate the airplane on radar. Air route traffic control center (ZAB) reported radar returns showing the airplane 25 miles east of KAEG on the east side of the mountains, where the minimum en route altitude was 11,500 feet.
At 1254:24, the pilot said it was "pretty hairy," could see the ground, and was just trying to maintain visibility. Communications became intermittent, and an overflying airliner relayed messages. At 1257:35, after receiving the KABQ altimeter setting, the pilot said they were "really having a tough time trying to get out of this [mess]." This was the last transmission.
Radar data for the last 4 minutes showed erratic flight path and varying ground speeds, with two computed speeds of 17 and 42 knots in the last minute—below the airplane's stall speed of 48 knots. Last radar contact was about 1259. The wreckage was located the following afternoon at 7,634 ft elevation, about 23 nautical miles east of KAEG and 464 ft west of the last radar contact.
Personnel
The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with single-engine land, multiengine land, and instrument ratings, and a second-class medical certificate with no restrictions. He also held a mechanic's certificate with inspector authorization and was a former U.S. Marine Corps aviation mechanic. Logbook entries from October 2008 to September 2015 showed total time of 700.1 hours, including 33.3 hours in the Cessna 182G. The pilot had logged 45 hours of actual instrument time and 11 instrument approaches in the five months before the accident.
Aircraft
The airplane, serial number 182-55540, was a 1964 Cessna 182G equipped with a 275-horsepower Continental/P. Ponk O-470-50 engine and a Hartzell three-blade constant-speed propeller. Moore Aviation purchased it on August 1, 2013. The last annual inspection was on June 19, 2015, at a tachometer and airframe total time of 4,926.76 hours. At that time, the engine was overhauled and converted from a Continental IO-520-E to an O-470-50. At the accident site, the tachometer read 4,969.98 hours. The last pitot-static, altimeter, and transponder-encoder checks were on September 6, 2012.
Meteorological Conditions
At 1252, KABQ reported wind 290° at 21 knots gusting 27 knots, visibility 10 miles, few clouds at 500 ft, broken at 4,100 ft, overcast at 11,000 ft, temperature 4°C, dew point -1°C, altimeter 29.62 inHg. Remarks included rain ended at 1223 and mountains obscured northeast through southeast. At 1235, KAEG reported wind 260° at 20 knots gusting 32 knots, visibility 2.5 miles with snow, few clouds at 1,500 ft, scattered at 4,200 ft, broken at 5,000 ft, temperature 3°C, altimeter 29.61 inHg.
GOES-15 satellite imagery at 1300 showed cloudy conditions over the accident location with cloud-top temperatures about -39°C (height about 28,000 ft), varying in the region. Weather radar at 1259:22 showed the airplane began deviating as it approached an area of light precipitation. Cell phone photos taken en route showed VFR conditions with clouds in the distance and later a solid overcast, though the location could not be determined.
Wreckage and Impact
Examination on November 17, 2015, revealed the airplane impacted intact in heavily wooded terrain at an acute nose-down (about 90°) attitude, coming to rest nearly vertical. A tree top was severed. The fuselage was buckled forward about 30° between the rear cabin and empennage. All major components were located, and flight control continuity was established. Both wing leading edges had accordion crush damage. The fuel selector indicated right main tank selected. Due to position and snow, the engine was not examined on site.
Flight instrument readings: altimeter 1,980 ft, Kollsman window 29.90 inHg, tachometer 850 rpm, recorder 4,969.98 hours, directional gyro 074°, clock 1023. Lower left switch panel: master on, ignition left magneto, standby vacuum off, pitot heat off, navigation lights off, rotating beacon on.
Medical and Pathological Information
Autopsy performed by the Office of the Medical Examiner, University of New Mexico, determined the pilot's cause of death as blunt trauma. No significant natural disease was identified. Toxicology tests by the FAA on the pilot detected no carbon monoxide or ethanol. Sertraline (0.326 ug/ml in heart blood) and its metabolite desmethylsertraline were detected in liver and heart blood. Sertraline (Zoloft) is a prescription antidepressant; it is not generally considered impairing but carries a performance warning. The Veterans Administration Hospital in Wichita Falls had prescribed it for depression. The pilot's medical file indicated he reported no medical problems or medications to the FAA. Personal records revealed a history of cervical spine surgery and major depression treated with sertraline around the time of the accident, and his health care provider felt his depression was well controlled a few months before.
Additional Information
FAA Advisory Circular AC 60-4A notes that after loss of visual reference, it can take up to 35 seconds to establish full control by instruments, and that surface references can become obscured even in visibility above VFR minimums.