NTSB Factual Report

On June 28, 2003, at 1530 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 152, N6182U, impacted a telephone pole and trees while maneuvering near Mt. Charleston, Nevada. The owner was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The airline transport pilot, the sole occupant, sustained minor injuries; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The personal cross-country flight departed the North Las Vegas Airport (VGT), North Las Vegas, Nevada, about 1520, en route to Reno, Nevada. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan had been filed. The primary wreckage was at 36 degrees 15.28 minutes north latitude and 115 degrees 38.56 minutes west longitude. The elevation was approximately 7,650 feet mean sea level.

In a written statement, the pilot reported that she was relocating the airplane from Falcon Field, Arizona, to Anchorage, Alaska. She departed Falcon Field and landed North Las Vegas about 3 1/2 hours later. After filing a flight plan from North Las Vegas to Reno via Beatty, she departed North Las Vegas. When she attempted to open her flight plan, Reno radio told that her radio was "weak and unreadable." The VGT air traffic control tower then handed her off to Nellis Departure.

Approximately 20 miles into the flight, the pilot requested a turn in order to gain additional altitude. She flew a "large, left 360." While in the turn, the Nellis air traffic controller asked her if she noticed the highway below; she responded affirmatively. He advised her that many pilots follow the highway through the pass because the road leads to Beatty. She had followed the highway for several minutes when the controller came back and informed her that she had gone below his radar coverage.

The pilot followed the road through the pass and climbed to 8,200 feet. The air traffic controller called her three times; however, he apparently did not hear her replies. She followed the road and the terrain continued to climb. The oil temperature began rising as she "traded altitude for airspeed." Mountains surrounded the airplane, and the pilot was unable to maintain altitude. The airspeed continued to drop below 60 knots, and the pilot extended 10 degrees of flaps. Attempting to avoid a stall, the pilot turned left out of the valley. Shortly thereafter, the left wing clipped a telephone pole and trees came through the windshield.

A man told the pilot that he heard the airplane over fly his house "too low with the engine sputtering." He followed the airplane to the accident site.

Mt. Charleston is located west of North Las Vegas and rises to an elevation of 11,915 feet mean sea level (msl) at its peak. State Highway 157 runs in a westerly direction directly into the Spring Mountain range and to Mt. Charleston. The mountain range has peaks that exceed 10,000 feet. United States Highway 95 runs from North Las Vegas to Beatty in a northwesterly direction through a wide 4,000 foot elevation valley between mountain ranges.

A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector examined the airplane and engine on scene. The inspector established control continuity, and a cursory examination of the engine did not reveal any anomalies.

On August 28, 2003, maintenance technicians at Lone Mountain Aviation, Inc., Las Vegas, Nevada, inspected the engine under the auspices of the FAA inspector. They removed the spark plugs, and noted that the spark plug from the number 2 cylinder sustained ground impact damage. They checked the ignition leads for grounding and proper firing; all checks were normal. They checked the fuel filter bowl for blockage and the presence of fuel; there was no blockage and fuel was present. The carburetor and fuel line were full of fuel. The induction system did not display any leaks. The exhaust system did not show any indications of blockage. The air box sustained impact damage. The oil filter was free of metal contamination.

The technicians removed and inspected all four cylinders. The number 2 cylinder and number 4 cylinder oil control rings contained sludge; the oil holes were clogged but the cylinders and pistons did not display any heat stress. The top of the pistons displayed a normal color, but did show signs of a high carbon build up. They removed the connecting rods, and examined the crankshaft, rod bolts, and rod bearings. They said that all displayed normal wear patterns. The crankshaft turned through 360 degrees of travel.

The National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge (IIC) calculated a density altitude of 11,600 feet at 8,000 feet msl.

The IIC reviewed the Cessna 152 pilot operating handbook. Using a standard lapse rate of 2 degrees Celsius per 1,000 feet and the temperature for North Las Vegas, the calculated temperature at the accident site was about 30 degrees Celsius. Performance charts indicated that the rate of climb at 8,000 feet msl for the existing conditions would have been 293 feet per minute (fpm); the rate of climb at 7,000 feet would have been 339 fpm. The time and distance required to climb from 2,000 feet to 12,000 feet were 31 minutes and 37 nautical miles. The duration of the accident flight was about 10 minutes; Mt. Charleston is located 24 nautical miles from North Las Vegas.

NTSB Probable Cause

the pilot's inadequate in-flight planning and selection of the wrong route of flight, which led the airplane toward rising terrain in excess of the performance capability of the airplane. Also causal was the pilot's delayed decision to divert her route of flight. Contributing factors were the high density altitude, and the rapidly rising terrain.