VFR into IMC · NTSB DFW08FA204
CESSNA 182 — Cassville, MO
| Date | August 10, 2008 |
| Location | Cassville, MO |
| Aircraft | CESSNA 182 |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Uncontrolled descent Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) |
| Pilot age | 77 |
| Pilot total time | 480 hrs · Building experience |
| Time in type | 400 hrs |
| Fatalities | 1 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Lack of action-Pilot - C
- Personnel issues-Psychological-Personality/attitude-Motivation/respond to pressure-Pilot - F
- Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Ceiling/visibility/precip-Low ceiling-Contributed to outcome
- Personnel issues-Experience/knowledge-Experience/qualifications-Qualification/certification-Pilot
What happened
Prior to the flight, the non-instrument rated private pilot had three contacts with the pre-flight weather briefer at the automated flight Service Station (AFSS) for a planned visual flight rules (VFR) return flight to his home. According to statements made to a friend, the pilot expected the weather conditions to quickly improve once he got approximately 30 miles from the departure airport. The pilot had told several persons that he intended to make an important business flight in that airplane to another location on the following day. After departure, the airplane encountered instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) in an area of rising terrain. A witness near the accident scene saw the airplane come out of the bottom of overcast clouds in a nose down dive. The airplane impacted terrain and was destroyed by a post-impact fire. No pre-crash anomalies were noted with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.