Accident Summary
On August 18, 2018, about 1150 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 182Q airplane, registration N84CP, was substantially damaged when it collided with trees near Salmon, Idaho. The airline transport pilot and a pilot-rated passenger were seriously injured; the pilot succumbed to his injuries three months after the accident. The flight was conducted as a personal flight under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
Flight Sequence
According to the pilot-rated passenger, the accident pilot fueled the airplane before a formation flight of two airplanes from McCall Municipal Airport (MYL) to Flying B Ranch Airstrip (12ID). The accident airplane was in the lead. During the briefing for the return flight, the accident pilot and the pilot of the trail airplane decided to take off to the north parallel to the west side of a river, then turn 180° back toward MYL.
The flight departed about 1115, with the accident pilot still in the lead. The takeoff and initial climb appeared normal. Shortly after takeoff, the trail pilot asked the accident pilot, “where are you going?” and he replied, “We are going down.” The passenger was unaware of any issues before this transmission. After the transmission, the passenger saw the manifold pressure gauge reading 20 inches and the airplane descending. The accident pilot stated he would “put the [air]plane in the trees” and turned left.
The airplane then impacted a stand of trees “slow and level” with the stall warning horn “chirping.” After the left wing hit a tree, the airplane rotated 180° counterclockwise. The tail struck another tree as the airplane continued rotating and broke in half. The right side then hit a third tree before the airplane came to rest. The passenger noticed fire from the engine cowling, and both occupants egressed. Shortly after, the airplane exploded and was consumed by fire.
The trail pilot reported that about 1/2 mile north of 12ID, he saw the accident airplane turn 90° left onto a westerly heading. He initially thought the pilot was making the 180° turn to head upstream as briefed, but then saw the airplane head up a creek. He later asked the accident pilot, “downstream?” and received a response of “crashing or something similar.”
Accident Site and Terrain
The departure route bordered a confined area with a turn radius of about 800 ft. Terrain rising above 6,500 ft mean sea level existed on both sides of the north/south-oriented river. The airplane came to rest lodged in a tree between 10 and 12 ft above ground level, in an approximate 15°-nose-down attitude.
Postaccident Examination
The airframe and engine were destroyed by the postaccident fire. Examination of available components revealed no evidence of preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Environmental Conditions
At 1155, the Automated Surface Observing System at Challis Airport (LLJ), about 35 nautical miles southeast of the accident site, reported wind calm, temperature 22°C, dewpoint 8°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.28 inches of mercury. The density altitude was calculated to be 6,197 ft.