Cessna 182 N2629R accident near Redding, California

Probable cause

The pilot's spatial disorientation and subsequent loss of control after takeoff in dark night instrument meteorological conditions.

NTSB analysis

Before departing on the night instrument flight rules (IFR) flight, the pilot asked another pilot at the airport about the published IFR departure procedure he intended to use after takeoff. The pilot and passenger subsequently departed on the filed flight plan.

Radar data depicted that the accident airplane started to drift to the left of the runway while still flying over it. The left drift continued beyond the departure end of runway 34. About 0.43 mile north of the airport, the airplane began a right turn and started to descend from 500 ft above ground level (agl). The last radar target was located near the accident site, at an altitude of 100 ft agl. A video obtained from a security camera, located about 1 mile southwest of the accident site, captured the accident airplane in a descending right turn until the view of the airplane was lost behind a tree line.

A review of the pilot's flight records revealed that he held an instrument rating and had logged 3.6 hours in the last 6 months. However, there was no record of the pilot obtaining an instrument proficiency check within the 12 months before the accident. Examination of the airframe and engines did not reveal any anomalies consistent with a preimpact failure or malfunction.

It is likely that the pilot experienced some level of spatial disorientation as the airplane turned during takeoff in the dark night conditions with smoke and haze, which led to a loss of control and impact with terrain.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR19FA025 for the full record.