Cessna 182Q N735RD

Summary

On 16 February 2004 at about 23:14 local time, a Cessna 182Q registered N735RD, operated by Pratt Air Inc., was involved in an accident near Rozel, Kansas, 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

16 February 2004 at 23:14

Classification

Accident

Location

Rozel, Kansas, United States

Nearest airport

Pratt Industrial (PTT)

Coordinates

38.2897, -99.4497

Aircraft

Cessna 182Q

Registration

N735RD

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Pratt Air Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Aerial Observation

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Pratt → Colby

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

CHI04FA071

1 person died.

The inadvertent flight into instrument meteorological conditions, the spatial disorientation, and aircraft control not maintained by the pilot during cruise flight. Contributing to the accident were the night instrument meteorological conditions due to low ceilings and low visibility, an incomplete pre-flight weather briefing, and the lack of recent experience in instrument meteorological conditions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The cross country flight departed without a flight plan, and the airplane was found destroyed in an agricultural field located in a sparely populated area. Night visual and instrument meteorological conditions were reported between the flight's departure and destination airports. A weather briefing was given to a caller representing the accident airplane in which the caller did not specifically request and was not provided with a standard weather briefing for the flight. Weather briefing information provided by the flight service station briefer indicated visual flight rule conditions. The briefer did not provide available weather forecast and present weather information that would have depicted instrument meteorological conditions in southwestern Kansas. Witnesses in the area reported observing instrument meteorological conditions in the accident site vicinity. According to the operator of the accident airplane, the pilot had not flown instruments for about three years and did not have more than 20 hours of actual instrument flight time. No mechanical anomalies were noted with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.