Cessna 182S accident near Erwin, NC

On July 21, 2011, a Cessna 182S (airplane) was involved in an accident near Erwin, NC. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.

Date

July 21, 2011

Place

Erwin, NC

Aircraft

Cessna 182S · Airplane

Injuries

2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor

Damage

Substantial

Position

35.367°N, 78.746°W

NTSB ID

20110721X63616

Official records · ERA11FA412

• Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation

Air traffic control records

• Audio Recording of Flight Service Call (Shelf Item): Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
• ATC 3 - Factual Report of Group Chairman: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
• Audio Selector Panel Manual: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov

NTSB summary

HISTORY OF FLIGHT On July 20, 2011, at 2157 eastern daylight time (EDT), a Cessna 182S, N23739, was substantially damaged during impact with trees and terrain approximately 1/2-mile southwest of Harnett Regional Jetport (HRJ), Erwin, North Carolina. The certificated private pilot and passenger were fatally injured. Dark night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight, which departed Key Field Airport (MEI), Meridian, Mississippi, at 1621 central daylight time. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. All times are expressed in (EDT) unless otherwise noted. According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Air Traffic Control (ATC) archived communication and radar data, information recovered from a handheld global positioning system (GPS) receiver found in the wreckage, and interviews with family members of the pilot, the pilot and two passengers departed from Erwin, North Carolina on July 19, 2011, and flew to Philadelphia Municipal Airport (MPE), Philadelphia, Mississippi. During that trip the pilot stopped at Harris County Airport (PIM), Pine Mountain, Georgia, before continuing on to MPE. Upon arriving at MPE, the pilot contacted his family to advise that the group had arrived in Mississippi and that the airplane had "flown great." While in Philadelphia, one of the passengers purchased a vehicle at an auction, and elected to drive the vehicle back to Erwin. On the afternoon of the accident day, the pilot contacted flight service via telephone at 1531. He reported

Probable cause

The pilot’s loss of control due to spatial disorientation while maneuvering in dark night conditions.

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Browse: North Carolina · Cessna aircraft

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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.