Cessna 182 N2629R

Summary

On 16 November 2018 at about 02:27 local time, a Cessna 182 registered N2629R was involved in an accident near Redding, California, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

16 November 2018 at 02:27

Classification

Accident

Location

Redding, California, United States

Nearest airport

Redding Muni (RDD)

Coordinates

40.5269, -122.2836

Aircraft

Cessna 182

Registration

N2629R

Category

Airplane

Year built

1967

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Redding → Sacramento

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

WPR19FA025

2 people died.

The pilot's spatial disorientation and subsequent loss of control after takeoff in dark night instrument meteorological conditions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Before departing on the night instrument flight rules (IFR) flight, the pilot asked another pilot at the airport about the published IFR departure procedure he intended to use after takeoff. The pilot and passenger subsequently departed on the filed flight plan. Radar data depicted that the accident airplane started to drift to the left of the runway while still flying over it. The left drift continued beyond the departure end of runway 34.  About 0.43 mile north of the airport, the airplane began a right turn and started to descend from 500 ft above ground level (agl). The last radar target was located near the accident site, at an altitude of 100 ft agl.  A video obtained from a security camera, located about 1 mile southwest of the accident site, captured the accident airplane in a descending right turn until the view of the airplane was lost behind a tree line. A review of the pilot's flight records revealed that he held an instrument rating and had logged 3.6 hours in the last 6 months. However, there was no record of the pilot obtaining an instrument proficiency check within the 12 months before the accident. Examination of the airframe and engines did not reveal any anomalies consistent with a preimpact failure or malfunction. It is likely that the pilot experienced some level of spatial disorientation as the airplane turned during takeoff in the dark night conditions with smoke and haze, which led to a loss of control and impact with terrain.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.