GORMAN, CA, USA
N5545N
CESSNA 182R
AFTER RECEIVING A FULL WEATHER BRIEFING THAT REPORTED STANDING LENTICULAR CLOUDS AND GUSTY SURFACE WINDS ALONG THE PROPOSED FLIGHT ROUTE, THE INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT AND AN INSTRUCTOR PILOT TOOKOFF ON A PERSONAL INSTRUMENT FLIGHT OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. AS THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN ITS DESCENT FOR LANDING THE CREW REPORTED THEY HAD ENTERED AN UNCONTROLLED DESCENT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE AIRCRAFT WERE LOST, THE AIRCRAFT'S RADAR TARGET DISAPPEARED AND AN ELT RADIO SIGNALS WERE DETECTED. GROUND SEARCH PARTIES INITIATED A SEARCH AND THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED TEN HOURS LATER.
THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED INTO AN UNCONTROLLED DESCENT. THE EXISTENCE OF A MOUNTAIN WAVE ALONG THE AIRCRAFT'S FLIGHT ROUTE, THE FAILURE OF THE CREW TO EVALUATE REPORTED WEATHER CONDITIONS ALONG THE FLIGHT ROUTE, THE CREWS ATTEMPT TO FLY INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND THE OVER CONFIDENCE OF THE CREW IN THE AIRCRAFT'S ABILITY WERE FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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