History of Flight
On October 15, 2016, at 1552 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 182D airplane, N8718X, impacted the northeast face of Red Peak in the Desolation Wilderness near South Lake Tahoe, California. The private pilot sustained fatal injuries, and the airplane was destroyed. The airplane was operated by the pilot under Part 91. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the accident site, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight, which departed Winnemucca Municipal Airport (WMC), Nevada, about 1320, with a planned destination of Westover Field/Amador County Airport (JAQ), California.
The pilot was returning from a hunting trip. He had initially departed Lemhi County Airport (SMN), Salmon, Idaho, earlier that morning and landed at WMC, where he added 41 gallons of 100LL aviation gasoline. Before departure, he told his wife that the landing at WMC was challenging due to gusting wind.
After departing, the pilot took two digital photographs at 1329 and 1336, which he sent to his wife via text. The metadata showed positions about 9 and 18 miles southwest of WMC at altitudes of 6,755 ft and 8,986 ft. The photographs depicted mountainous terrain, dust clouds, and overcast layers with lenticular clouds.
At 1338, Air Route Surveillance Radar in Fallon, Nevada, acquired a target with transponder code 1200 at 9,500 ft. Over the next 13 minutes, the target made a 360° left turn descending to 7,600 ft then climbing to 8,600 ft. It then proceeded southwest for an hour at altitudes between 8,700 ft and 11,200 ft. At 1450, the pilot texted his wife that he was at Pyramid Lake and "79 knots."
The target reached Reno, Nevada, at 1454. The pilot contacted Oakland Air Route Traffic Control Center (ZOA) requesting VFR flight following and was assigned transponder code 3726. The controller transferred the airplane to Northern California Terminal Radar Approach Control (NCT). The pilot reported altitude 10,600 ft and destination. Over the next few minutes, NCT issued a wind advisory for Reno International Airport (wind 200° at 31 knots, gusting 41 knots). The accident airplane continued at about 10,700 ft, ground speed 60 knots, track 220°.
At 1507, the pilot inquired about a temporary flight restriction (TFR) over Carson City, Nevada. The controller said it remained in effect but with a ceiling of 10,000 ft. At 1522, NCT handed off to ZOA; the pilot acknowledged but did not contact ZOA. Over the next 29 minutes, ZOA made four attempts to contact the pilot, with no response. Radar contact was lost at 1551.
Radar data showed that at 1543, as the airplane crossed the western shore of Lake Tahoe, it began oscillating in altitude between 10,100 ft and 10,900 ft. During the last 96 seconds, it descended from 10,800 ft to 9,700 ft, about 3/4 mile northeast of the 9,311-ft summit of Red Peak. An ALNOT was issued at 1839. The wreckage was discovered 3 days later covered in snow at 8,630 ft elevation, about 3,300 ft south of the last radar target.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating issued in 1988, and a third-class FAA medical certificate issued February 16, 2015, with no limitations. He did not hold an instrument rating. His logbook showed 1,151.6 total flight hours as of July 2, 2016, mostly in the accident airplane, which he purchased in 2005. His most recent flight review was on May 3, 2015. According to his wife, he typically flew between California and Idaho six or seven times per year, crossing the Sierra Nevada, and had mountain flying experience in other ranges. She said he rarely flew without a passenger; they had occasionally flown in VMC while maneuvering through cloud layers, but he had never flown into clouds or IMC. She reported he was in good health and was scheduled for a non-critical medical appointment two days after the accident. During the phone call from WMC, he did not mention physiological issues. She noted he had been under significant stress before the trip but sounded relaxed afterward. She described him as an "achiever" who could be headstrong; she had suggested he drive back due to the approaching weather, but he insisted on flying.
Aircraft Information
The airplane, a 1960 Cessna 182D, was equipped with a Continental Motors O-470R normally aspirated engine and a two-bladed McCauley constant-speed propeller. The most recent maintenance was an annual inspection completed February 20, 2016, at which time the airframe had 5,467.04 hours and the engine 364.3 hours since overhaul in 2012. The tachometer indicated 2,462.6 hours at inspection and 2,532.5 hours post-accident. The owner's manual specified a service ceiling of 19,800 ft at maximum gross weight (2,650 lbs) and maximum cruise endurance at 10,000 ft of 7.1 hours at 118 mph. Climb rates at 2,100, 2,400, and 2,650 lbs were 925, 710, and 560 ft per minute, respectively, under standard conditions. The airplane had no autopilot or supplemental oxygen system. The pilot's wife stated he never experienced hypoxia and flew below 11,500 ft. The airplane was not equipped for flight into known icing conditions.
Meteorological Information
An NTSB weather specialist compiled a report. Upper air charts showed mid-level troughs, enhanced lift, and mountain wave conditions. Surface observations from Lake Tahoe Airport (TVL) and Minden-Tahoe Airport (MEV) indicated gusty winds, rain, and low ceilings around the accident time. TVL at 1553 reported 4 miles visibility, moderate rain, scattered clouds at 2,400 ft, broken ceiling at 2,900 ft, overcast at 3,400 ft. MEV at 1555 reported 8 miles visibility, few clouds at 3,300 ft, broken at 4,800 ft, overcast at 5,500 ft. A 1455 observation from Reno (RNO) included wind from 210° at 28 knots gusting 41 knots. The closest upper air sounding from Reno indicated a freezing level at 10,734 ft and likely mountain wave conditions near 10,000 ft with updrafts/downdrafts of about 2,645 ft per minute. Satellite data showed increasing cloud cover and lenticular clouds indicative of mountain waves. Weather radar indicated the airplane flew through light to moderate echo intensity. SIGMETs and AIRMETs warned of severe turbulence, moderate icing, IMC, and mountain obscuration. The Area Forecast predicted broken ceiling at 10,000 ft, cloud tops 25,000 ft, south wind 35 knots gusting 45 knots. A TAF for TVL included wind 190° at 32 knots gusting 45 knots, wind shear at 2,000 ft. High wind warnings were issued with gusts up to 70 mph on the Sierra Ridge. The pilot did not contact official weather briefing sources. The airplane had a Stratus ADS-B receiver and an iPad with ForeFlight, but no recent record of weather access was found; the iPad was damaged and its pre-accident status could not be determined.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane came to rest on a 45° northeast-facing slope of Red Peak, about half a mile south of Lake Schmidell. The fuselage was oriented about 270° magnetic and sustained extensive crush damage from firewall to empennage; the cabin structure was fragmented. The vertical stabilizer remained attached to the tailcone at the base of a tree. The left wing had accordion crush damage; the right wing fragmented into multiple pieces. Due to high wind, snow, and hazardous conditions, recovery was attempted almost a year later in September 2017. Examination revealed both front seats detached, and unsecured cargo (folding chairs, coolers, tools, clothing) was dispersed without webbing or straps. The instrument panel was fragmented; most instruments were damaged such that settings could not be determined. The flight control continuity was confirmed; the flaps were in the up position. The engine and propeller showed no pre-impact anomalies. No evidence of in-flight fire was found.