VFR into IMC · NTSB WPR12FA098
CESSNA 210 — Morgan, UT
| Date | February 9, 2012 |
| Location | Morgan, UT |
| Aircraft | CESSNA 210 |
| Purpose of flight | Other Work Use |
| Conditions | Day · Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Enroute Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT) |
| Pilot age | 47 |
| Pilot total time | 553 hrs · Building experience |
| Time in type | 538 hrs |
| Fatalities | 2 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot - C
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Altitude-Not attained/maintained - C
- Environmental issues-Physical environment-Terrain-Mountainous/hilly terrain-Not specified
- Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Ceiling/visibility/precip-Obscuration-Effect on operation
What happened
During a volunteer flight to pick up a passenger, the non-instrument-rated pilot had to divert to an alternate airport due to low ceilings at his destination. After picking up the passenger and departing, the pilot requested and received a flight-following clearance. Shortly thereafter, he reported that he was going to turn the airplane out of a valley. There was no further communication from the pilot after this transmission. The last radar target depicted the airplane at an elevation of 7,100 feet. The wreckage was located 3.5 miles from the last radar target in treed, mountainous terrain at an elevation of 7,700 feet. A postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Weather information current at the time of the flight reported mountain obscuration and precipitation. Review of weather briefing data showed no record of the pilot obtaining a weather briefing prior to departure. Given the forecast and reported weather conditions, it is likely that the pilot encountered instrument meteorological conditions and was unable to see the trees and terrain prior to the collision.