Pilot Debrief

CESSNA 175 near Reserve, NM — 2021-10-15

Final reportWPR22FA011
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Date
2021-10-15
Location
Reserve, NM, USA
Aircraft
CESSNA 175
Registration
N7584M
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Fatal
Fatalities
1
Phase of flight
Maneuvering

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from terrain while maneuvering at a low altitude. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s reduced forward visibility due to the sun.

Contributing factors

Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s reduced forward visibility due to the sun.

NTSB narrative

The pilot was conducting a personal flight with two passengers over mountainous terrain, with the intention of scouting areas to hunt. The passengers reported that they were directing the pilot where they wanted to look, and while maneuvering, the airplane entered a “sharp” turn and started to descend. They stated it “felt/sounded” like the engine lost power and that the pilot was not able to get full power back. The pilot was able to level the airplane, but it continued to descend into the trees. The passengers also stated it was difficult to see out of the windshield during the flight because the airplane was “tilted up” the entire flight. Downloaded GPS flight track data showed that in the final 2 minutes of the flight, the airplane turned to the southeast toward rising terrain, and entered a positive rate of climb, which continued until the last recorded GPS data point, which was located about 95 ft south of the accident site. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Review of sun and moon data for the time and location of the accident revealed that the sun was just above the relative horizon and in the southeast quadrant of the sky. It is likely that when the pilot initiated a climb while on a southeasterly heading, the sun reduced the pilot’s forward visibility and her awareness of rising terrain in the immediate flight path, which led to a collision with the terrain. Although toxicology testing indicated the pilot used Diphenhydramine at some point before the accident flight, the detected blood levels could not be used to infer the level of impairment. Based on the circumstances of the accident, the effect of Diphenhydramine use was determined not to be a likely factor in the accident.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Engine power loss
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have avoided sharp turn to northeast to maintain altitude.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • ADS-B / radar
  • Photos
  • 16 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents16

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