Austin, NV, USA
N39HP
CESSNA 170B
THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS ON AN INTERMEDIATE SEGMENT OF A BUSINESS RELATED CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT. SOME WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE FOLLOWING A HIGHWAY OVER A 7,500 FOOT MOUNTAIN PASS AT AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 300 FEET AGL. A SNOW STORM WITH VISIBILITY ESTIMATED AT ABOUT 120 FEET WAS IN PROGRESS. OVERCAST CEILINGS WERE ESTIMATED AT ABOUT 500 FEET AGL. AN AIRMET FOR TURBULENCE AND ICING CONDITIONS WAS IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA OF FLIGHT. OTHER WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE MANEUVER OVER THE HIGHWAY, TURN RIGHT AND DESCEND INTO THE TERRAIN.
THE PILOT'S DELAY IN REVERSING DIRECTION, HIS CONTINUED FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS, HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED AND INADVERTENT STALL WHILE MANEUVERING TO REVERSE DIRECTION. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT CONSISTED OF LOW CEILINGS, SNOW, AND ICING CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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