Cessna 182Q Safety Record

**This case was revised 6/10/2005 and 2/24/2016. Refer to the public docket for this accident for details.** The failure of the pilot of N4903F, the Cessna 172, and the pilot of N759XA, the Cessna 182, to see and avoid each other while operating in Class E airspace, resulting in a midair collision. Contributing to the accident was the lack of traffic information being provided to the pilot of the Cessna 182 about known traffic in the vicinity, because the controller forgot about the Cessna 172' s reported path and altitude, and the Cessna 172 pilot's change of his transponder code, which precluded the possibility of an ATC collision alert before the accident.

The pilot not maintaining aircraft control in cruise flight leading to his inadvertent spiral. A factor was the pilot's in-flight encounter with moderate to heavy rain.

The pilot's failure to follow IFR approach procedures and continue below the minimum descent altitude, which resulted in an inflight collision with trees, and the ground. A factor was the pilot's impairment from a prescription drug.

the loss of engine power resulting from fuel starvation due to the pilot's inadequate pre-flight inspection, inadequate performance of the pre-takeoff checklist, and failure to ensure that the fuel selector was properly positioned prior to takeoff. Also causal was the pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed while attempting to clear a power line during the ensuing forced landing, which resulted in an inadvertent stall.

The pilot's decision to allow unescorted passengers to approach the aircraft with the engine running, and, the passenger's failure to see and avoid the rotating propeller. A factor in the accident was the low ambient lighting conditions, which would have made the rotating propeller difficult to see.

The noninstrument rated pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during an attempted flight into adverse weather which resulted in inadvertent VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions. Factors in the accident were the pilot's failure to obtain an updated briefing prior to departure, and icing conditions encountered after entering the clouds.

the pilot's encounter with instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), and his subsequent loss of aircraft control, due to spatial disorientation. Factors relating to the accident were: the clouds, low ceilings, and the pilot's lack of recent instrument experience.

THE PILOT'S DECISION TO ATTEMPT FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND HIS LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL DUE TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION. FACTORS RELATING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: CONDITIONS OF DARKNESS, THUNDERSTORM AND LIGHTNING, AND THE PILOT'S LACK INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE.

A loss of engine power for an undetermined reason. Factors relating to the accident were: lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing in mountains, low ambient temperatures that contributed to hypothermia, the lack of survival equipment, an erratic ELT signal due to a faulty tuning crystal, and the lack of discrete transponder data to assist in the search.

WAS INCAPACITATION OF THE PILOT DUE TO CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE DURING AN INSTRUMENT APPROACH RESULTING IN THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDING UNCONTROLLED UNTIL TREE AND GROUND IMPACT. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S DECISION TO FLY WITH KNOWN CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE.

THE IMPROPER INFLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT TO CONTINUE VFR FLIGHT INTO IMC CONDITIONS. FACTORS RELATING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN IN THE AREA, AND THE LOW CEILINGS AND CLOUDS OBSCURING THE MOUNTAINS.

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO FOLLOW PROPER PROCEDURES DURING A GO-AROUND MANEUVER, AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED, WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT STALL. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S IMPROPER USE OF THE FLAPS, HIS IMPROPER USE OF THE PROPELLER CONTROL, AND IMPROPER WEIGHT AND BALANCE OF THE AIRCRAFT.

POOR JUDGEMENT BY THE PILOT TO CONTINUE VFR FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS IFR CONDITIONS THAT INCLUDED LOW CEILINGS AND LOW VISIBILITY AND INSUFFICIENT INSTRUMENT TRAINING OF THE PILOT TO DEAL WITH THE IFR CONDITIONS.

THE PILOT'S IMPROPER IFR OPERATION IN ATTEMPTING AN ILS APPROACH IN AN AIRPLANE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AN ILS GLIDE SLOPE RECEIVER. THE WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT.

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO FOLLOW THE IFR PROCEDURE AND MAINTAIN THE MINIMUM DESCENT ALTITUDE (MDA) FOR THAT SEGMENT OF THE APPROACH. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: MINIMUM SAFE ALTITUDE WARNING (MSAW) RADAR NOT ENABLED, AND FAILURE OF THE APPROACH CONTROLLER TO PROVIDE A SAFETY ADVISORY.