Cessna 182E N3046Y

Summary

On 10 June 1991 at about 01:40 local time, a Cessna 182E registered N3046Y, operated by WM. Lennox & L. Holden, was involved in an accident near Eureka, California, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

10 June 1991 at 01:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Eureka, California, United States

Coordinates

36.2800, -119.0307

Aircraft

Cessna 182E

Registration

N3046Y

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

WM. Lennox & L. Holden

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Woodland → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

Unk

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX91LA243

2 people died.

THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT'S INADVERTENT FLIGHT INTO IMC CONDITIONS. THE PILOT'S LACK OF TOTAL EXPERIENCE, HIS DISREGARD TO THE PREFLIGHT METEOROLOGICAL BRIEFING HE RECEIVED, LOW CEILINGS, FOG, AND THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN OVER WHICH THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED WERE FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

AFTER FILING A FLIGHT PLAN UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES AND RECEIVING A WEATHER BRIEFING THAT RECOMMENDED THAT FLIGHT UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES NOT BE CONDUCTED TO HIS PROPOSED DESTINATION, THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT TOOK OFF FROM AN UNCONTROLLED AIRPORT WITHOUT OPENING HIS FLIGHT PLAN. WHEN THE PASSENGER DID NOT REPORT FOR WORK THE FOLLOWING DAY HER EMPLOYER REPORTED SHE AND THE PILOT MISSING. LATER IN THE DAY A COAST GUARD HELICOPTER REPORTED THAT AN ELT WAS TRANSMITTING IN THE VICINITY OF THE AIRPORT. A GROUND PARTY FOUND THE AIRCRAFT'S WRECKAGE STREWN OVER TREE COVERED MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. LOW CEILINGS AND FOG EXISTED IN THE AREA AT THE TIME.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.