Cessna 182Q N735KF

Summary

On 17 March 2015 at about 18:40 local time, a Cessna 182Q registered N735KF, operated by Brentco Aerial Patrols Inc, was involved in an accident near El Paso, Texas, 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

17 March 2015 at 18:40

Classification

Accident

Location

El Paso, Texas, United States

Coordinates

31.9519, -105.9728

Aircraft

Cessna 182Q

Registration

N735KF

Category

Airplane

Year built

1977

Engines

1

Operator

Brentco Aerial Patrols Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Aerial Observation

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hobbs → El Paso

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN15FA174

1 person died.

The pilot's decision to continue a visual flight rules flight into known instrument flight rules conditions, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was conducting a visual flight rules aerial observation flight and returning to his home base. Radar and weather data showed the airplane maneuvering in instrument flight rules conditions before radar contact was lost. Examination of the accident site indicated that the airplane impacted rocky, mountainous terrain in a slight left-wing-low attitude at high airspeed, consistent with controlled flight into terrain. It is likely that the mountainous terrain was obscured by clouds and low ceilings at the time of the accident, which prevented the pilot from seeing the terrain. Although the wreckage was significantly fragmented and damaged by fire, no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airframe or engine were noted that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.