Cessna 182A N2137G
6 May 1991 · Lee Vining, California, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 6 May 1991 at about 04:00 local time, a Cessna 182A registered N2137G, operated by Ronald F. Bonini, was involved in an accident near Lee Vining, California, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 04:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Lee Vining, California, United States
- Nearest airport
- Lee Vining (024)
- Coordinates
- 37.9894, -119.1104
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182A
- Registration
- N2137G
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Ronald F. Bonini
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Coleville → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Night/Dark
- NTSB number
- LAX91FA203
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN AIRCRAFT CONTROL DUE TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION DURING A NIGHT APPROACH.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT WAS REPORTED OVERDUE WHILE RETURNING FROM A SHORT CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT TO AN AIRPORT LOCATED IN AN AREA OF LITTLE GROUND ILLUMINATION DURING THE HOURS OF DARKNESS. THE SURROUNDING TERRAIN CONSISTED OF MOUNTAINS TO THE RIGHT AND A LAKE TO THE LEFT OF THE DIRECTION OF FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE OVER-FLEW THE RURAL AIRPORT ON A MOONLESS NIGHT AND MADE A LEFT TURN TO ENTER THE DOWNWIND PORTION OF A VFR APPROACH. THE TERRAIN AND LIGHT CONDITIONS PRODUCED DARK AND FEATURELESS VISUAL CONDITIONS. THE AIRPLANE WAS LOCATED THE NEXT DAY AND HAD STRUCK TERRAIN 1/2 MILE FROM THE DESTINATION AIRPORT IN A HIGH SPEED DESCENDING LEFT TURN.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Cessna 182 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 May 1991 | Cessna 182L | Port Huron, Michigan, United States | Douglas H. Mowat | No injuries | - |
| 9 Jan 1991 | Cessna 182N | La Belle, Florida, United States | Smith, Gregory H. | Serious injuries | - |
| 7 Jul 1991 | Cessna 182 | Xenia, Ohio, United States | Skydive Green County | No injuries | - |
| 22 Jun 1991 | Cessna 182 | Baltimore, Maryland, United States | Alex S. MacLean | No injuries | - |
| 11 May 1991 | Cessna 182N | Shelton, Washington, United States | Richard L. Sandefur | No injuries | - |
| 17 May 1991 | Cessna 182A | Mead, Washington, United States | TED G. Idloff | No injuries | - |
All 6,261 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Jul 1991 | Cessna C-172P | Hesperia, California, United States | South Bay Aviation | No injuries | - |
| 24 Jul 1991 | Cessna 172N | Napa, California, United States | Bridgeford Flying SVC. | No injuries | - |
| 24 Jul 1991 | Beechcraft 76 | Sacramento, California, United States | Altair Aviation Corp. | No injuries | - |
| 27 Jul 1991 | Ayres S2R | Visalia, California, United States | Gilbert Aviation Industries | Serious injuries | - |
| 1 Aug 1991 | Cessna 421C | Auburn, California, United States | Edward Mueller | No injuries | - |
| 2 Aug 1991 | Champion 7GCBC | Lake Elsinore, California, United States | Halbeisen, John F | Fatal | 2 |