YOUNG, AZ, USA
N3458U
CESSNA 182F
THIS WAS A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. THE WEATHER CONDITIONS AT THE DEPARTURE AND DESTINATION WERE VFR. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS WERE FORECASTED ALONG THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT. A SNOW STORM WAS REPORTED BY WITNESSES IN THE AREA OF THE ACCIDENT. WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE REPORTED TO BE ICING AND TURBULENCE, WITH MOUNTAINS OBSCURED BY CLOUDS. THE AIRPLANE WAS REPORTED OVERDUE AND LOCATED 3 WEEKS LATER. THE AIRPLANE WAS FOUND TO HAVE IMPACTED SNOW COVERED TERRAIN, AT HIGH SPEED, IN A NEAR VERTICAL, NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE.
THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE IN-FLIGHT DECISION TO CONTINUE VFR FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND THE LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE RESULTING IN AN INFLIGHT COLLISION WITH TERRAIN.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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