Cessna 182R accident in Hochgößnitz, Austria

Overview and Investigation Authority On 22 August 2020, a Cessna 182R motor aircraft crashed in Hochgößnitz, within the municipality of Maria Lankowitz in the Voitsberg district of Styria, Austria. The accident occurred at approximately 16:09 UTC. The Federal Office for Civil Aviation Safety (Sicherheitsuntersuchungsstelle des Bundes – Bereich Zivilluftfahrt) in Vienna conducted the investigation in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 996/2010 and the Austrian Accident Investigation Act (UUG 2005). The final report was approved in 2023, with a stated status date of 20 November 2023. ## Aircraft and Operation The aircraft was a Cessna 182R manufactured by Cessna Aircraft Company in the United States. It was registered in Austria and operated by a registered cooperative limited liability company (Registrierte Genossenschaft mbH). The flight was a work flight for cloud seeding under Part-NCO, specifically for hail suppression. The aircraft departed Graz Airport (LOWG) at approximately 15:47 UTC under visual flight rules. ## Accident Location and Notification The crash site was located at coordinates N 47° 03.44′ E 014° 56.86′, at an elevation of approximately 4,100 feet MSL. The on-duty service of the Federal Office for Civil Aviation Safety was notified at 16:20 UTC by the search and rescue centre of Austro Control GmbH. The United States, as the state of manufacture and design, was informed of the accident in accordance with applicable regulations. ## Investigation Scope and Limitations The investigation's sole objective was the prevention of future accidents and incidents. The determination of probable causes did not imply the establishment of fault or administrative, civil, or criminal liability. The report was based on information available at the time, and the investigating authority reserved the right to supplement the report if the information base was expanded. All times in the report are given in UTC, with local time being UTC plus two hours.