Cessna 182P N8579M

Summary

On 20 January 1999 at about 03:35 local time, a Cessna 182P registered N8579M was involved in an accident near Danville, 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.

Date

20 January 1999 at 03:35

Classification

Accident

Location

Danville, California, United States

Coordinates

37.8105, -121.9699

Aircraft

Cessna 182P

Registration

N8579M

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Positioning

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Livermore → Sacramento

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

LAX99FA078

1 person died.

The pilot's disregard for the preflight weather briefing, and his intentional continuation into adverse weather conditions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot received a preflight weather briefing and filed a VFR flight plan prior to departing Sacramento, California. During the briefing, the pilot was advised of forecast IFR conditions, with ceilings occasionally less than 1,000 feet and 3 miles visibility. Airmets advised mountain obscuration with scattered moderate to heavy rain. The FSS briefer concluded that after 1900-2000, the weather was going to reduce conditions to marginal VFR flight conditions. When the pilot opened his VFR flight plan by radio the briefer again asked him if he had the airmet for mountain obscuration, IFR conditions, and current information for the route. The pilot said yes he did and the briefer concluded by telling the pilot that VFR flight was not recommended. After the pilot arrived at Livermore airport he was asked by the local controller if he had a clearance on file or if he'd like to file one before he departed Livermore, and the pilot declined. The accident site was located between the elevation of 1,900 to 2,000 feet msl on a route consistent with a downwind departure from Livermore. A weather study by the Safety Board found that the airplane most likely experienced light to moderate rain after takeoff, with the airplane encountering heavy to very heavy rain near the accident site. Witnesses who were in the vicinity of the accident location confirmed that it was raining heavily near the accident timeframe.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.