Cessna 182P N85DK

Summary

On 18 April 1995 at about 17:15 local time, a Cessna 182P registered N85DK, operated by Donald L. Muchmore, was involved in an accident near Jerome, Arizona, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

18 April 1995 at 17:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Jerome, Arizona, United States

Coordinates

34.7094, -112.1596

Aircraft

Cessna 182P

Registration

N85DK

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Donald L. Muchmore

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Coronado → Santa Paula

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX95FA173

4 people died.

the pilot's improper in-flight decision to continue the daytime flight into known adverse weather conditions at an inadequate altitude to clear mountainous terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

SOMETIME AFTER TAKEOFF DURING THE DAYTIME CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT, THE PILOT ENCOUNTERED DETERIORATING WEATHER CONDITIONS. THE PILOT CLIMBED TO ABOUT 14,000 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL (MSL), AND THEN DESCENDED. RECORDED RADAR DATA INDICATED THAT THE AIRPLANE PROCEEDED ALONG A ROUTE OF FLIGHT WHICH WAS CONSISTENT WITH THE ROUTE FOUND MARKED ON AN AERONAUTICAL CHART LOCATED IN THE WRECKAGE. A PORTION OF THE ROUTE INCLUDED A HIGHLIGHTED COURSE ALONG VICTOR AIRWAY 12 BETWEEN THE WINSLOW AND DRAKE VORTACS. RADAR LAST RECORDED THE AIRPLANE DESCENDING IN A WESTERLY DIRECTION TO ABOUT 7,900 FEET MSL. THE AIRPLANE WAS FOUND BETWEEN 7,500 AND 7,700 FEET MSL, 1 MILE WEST OF ITS LAST RECORDED POSITION. THE WRECKAGE EXAMINATION INDICATED THE AIRPLANE CRUISED INTO UPSLOPING MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN WHILE ON A WESTERLY HEADING. NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS WERE FOUND WITH THE AIRFRAME OR ENGINE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.