Cessna 177RG N8287G

Summary

On 27 May 2001 at about 21:30 local time, a Cessna 177RG registered N8287G was involved in an accident near Pauma Valley, California, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

27 May 2001 at 21:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Pauma Valley, California, United States

Coordinates

33.2994, -116.9201

Aircraft

Cessna 177RG

Registration

N8287G

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Borrego Springs → Pauma Valley

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX01LA193

2 people had minor injuries.

The pilot's intentional flight into instrument meteorological conditions and failure to maintain clearance from terrain during an approach for landing under visual flight rules.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The instrument-rated pilot stated that he was descending in visual flight rules conditions, and was on the extended downwind leg for landing at the destination airport. He intentionally flew into the top of what appeared to be an isolated, "puffy" cloud, expecting to be in the cloud only briefly and to see the runway again on the other side. The cloud was more expansive than he anticipated and the airplane continued to descend in the cloud for a period of time until the pilot saw vegetation on a mountainside a short distance in front of them. The pilot took evasive action and the airplane impacted upsloping mountainous terrain and slid to a stop through heavy sagebrush.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.