Cessna 182K N2898R

Summary

On 25 January 2001 at about 01:00 local time, a Cessna 182K registered N2898R, operated by Tassilo J. Bilka, was involved in an accident near Elbert, Colorado, 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

25 January 2001 at 01:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Elbert, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

Meadow Lake (00V)

Coordinates

39.0597, -104.6364

Aircraft

Cessna 182K

Registration

N2898R

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Tassilo J. Bilka

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Erie → Colorado Sprgs

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

DEN01FA045

2 people died.

the pilot's continued visual flight rules (VFR) flight into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), which resulted in an in-flight collision with terrain. Contributing factors to the accident were the low clouds, reduced visibilities due to fog, and the dark night light condition.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to radar data, at 1729:09, the airplane departed on a night cross-country flight and its transponder was sending a 1200 (VFR) code. There were no records found of the flight contacting air traffic control, nor was it required to do so. The airplane climbed to 9,200 feet and flew toward the destination airport. At 1756:53, the airplane initiated a 250 foot per minute rate of descent. At 1800:55, the final radar image was received 11 miles north of the destination airport, at 8,200 feet msl (500 feet agl). Prior to the last radar return, the airplane had been in a steady, gradual descent. The accident site was located approximately 8 miles north-northeast of the destination airport. A witness, who lives near the accident site, reported that at the time of the accident dense fog conditions were occurring and the visibility was less than 50 yards. Review of weather observations revealed that the flight departed in visual meteorological conditions and the weather conditions deteriorated to instrument meteorological conditions as the flight progressed toward the destination airport. During the one hour time period surrounding the accident, the weather at the nearest observation facility to the accident site changed from a few clouds at 300 feet, scattered clouds at 1,300 feet, visibility 3 miles in fog, and a 1 degree temperature dew point spread, to broken clouds at 200 feet and a 0 degree temperature dew point spread. No record of the pilot receiving a pre-flight weather briefing from a flight service station was found. The airframe and engine were examined and no pre-impact anomalies were found that would have precluded their operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.