VFR into IMC · NTSB ERA09FA411
CESSNA R182 — Hayesville, NC
| Date | July 17, 2009 |
| Location | Hayesville, NC |
| Aircraft | CESSNA R182 |
| Purpose of flight | Positioning |
| Conditions | Day · Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Enroute-descent Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT) |
| Pilot age | 66 |
| Pilot total time | 20,000 hrs · High time |
| Time in type | Unknown |
| Fatalities | 1 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Ceiling/visibility/precip-Below VFR minima-Effect on operation
- Not determined-Not determined-(general)-(general)-Unknown/Not determined - C
What happened
The pilot departed under visual flight rules from his home airfield in order to reposition the airplane for routine maintenance. A radar target, identified as the accident airplane, tracked generally northbound after departure, before it turned directly toward the destination airport. The airplane gradually descended from 5,600 feet to 4,700 feet, where the last radar target was observed about 27 nautical miles southeast of the destination. The accident site was located 6 miles east of the destination airport, at an elevation of 4,667 feet. Examination of the wreckage path revealed signatures of a wings-level, controlled flight into terrain-type impact. No evidence of any mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane was observed. Weather conditions at the time of the accident, and in the mountainous area where the accident site was located, were generally consistent with instrument meteorological conditions.