Cessna 182P N20939

Summary

On 18 October 2012 at about 19:12 local time, a Cessna 182P registered N20939, operated by John E Sable, was involved in an accident near Yucca, Arizona, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

18 October 2012 at 19:12

Classification

Accident

Location

Yucca, Arizona, United States

Coordinates

34.8003, -114.1619

Aircraft

Cessna 182P

Registration

N20939

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

John E Sable

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lake Havasu → Fort Mohave

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR13FA017

1 person died.

The pilot’s failure to take corrective action to avoid terrain during cruise flight for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Before takeoff on the first flight following an annual inspection, a witness talked with the pilot about the work just completed and accompanied the pilot to the airplane. He observed the pilot check the fuel level and said the pilot indicated that there was adequate fuel on board for the flight to his home airport. The pilot then boarded the airplane and taxied for takeoff. A GPS track of the flight indicated that the airplane took off to the northwest, then turned north-northeast then northeast and began to follow an interstate on a relatively straight flight path; the airplane then began a gradual descent before colliding with terrain. On-site examination indicated that the airplane impacted the terrain in a level, upright attitude. It could not be determined why the pilot did not take corrective action to avoid terrain. On-site and a follow-up examination of the engine revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The county medical examiner performed a visual examination only of the pilot. Based on the limited information available, there is no evidence to suggest a medical condition contributed to the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.