CESSNA R182 — Ashville, AL

What happened

The private pilot departed on a day visual flight rules cross-country flight. About 7 miles from the departure airport, he contacted air traffic control (ATC) and requested flight following services, stating that he was climbing from 700 ft mean sea level (msl) (about 131 ft above ground level) to 2,500 ft msl. The controller issued the pilot a discrete transponder code and the pilot acknowledged; however, there were no further communications with the pilot. The pilot was reported missing by family members when he did not arrive at his destination, and the wreckage was located 2 days later in heavily-wooded, level terrain.

Postaccident examination of the engine revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

Toxicology testing identified tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and its primary metabolite in liver, kidney, and lung specimens. While this indicated that the pilot had used marijuana at some point before the flight, without results from a blood specimen, it could not be determined when he used it or whether it may have had impairing effects at the time of the accident. A coworker of the pilot stated that he and the pilot were working into the early morning on the day of the accident and he believed the pilot did not have much, if any, sleep before departing on the accident flight.

The pilot's communications with ATC suggest that the flight up to that point had been routine, and the reason for the airplane's descent and impact with terrain could not be determined. Additionally, there was insufficient evidence to determine whether fatigue, impairment, or incapacitation may have contributed to the accident.

An editorial "what led to it / how to avoid it" analysis for this accident is generated separately and will appear here.