Cessna 182 accident near Big Piney, Wyoming, August 16, 2015
On August 16, 2015 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Cessna 182, registered XBYUH, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Big Piney, Wyoming. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate altitude while operating over high mountainous terrain, which resulted in an emergency landing after the airplane's encounter with a downdraft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 16, 2015 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Big Piney, Wyoming · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 P · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- XBYUH · no longer on the register · serial 182633285
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot reported that, during a preflight briefing, he and the pilot-rated passenger (who was the owner of the airplane) agreed that in the case of an emergency, the owner would take control of the airplane. After takeoff, the sightseeing flight was normal until the airplane approached a glacier at 12,000 ft mean sea level. The pilot stated that because the airplane engine was normally aspirated, there was not much power left to climb, but everything was "ok." As the airplane entered the glacier area through a canyon, it encountered a sudden downdraft and started to descend; the pilot recalled that the airplane's altitude above terrain was about 500 ft. The pilot tried to maintain a level attitude, but the airspeed began to decrease as the airplane continued to descend. The pilot-rated passenger then took control of the airplane and immediately lowered the nose to increase airspeed and set up for an emergency landing; the airplane appeared to be stalling. The airplane landed hard on ice ditches, separating the nose gear. The main landing gear dug in and the airplane came to a stop, which resulted in structural damage to the fuselage. No mechanical malfunctions or failures were reported by the pilot. Because the engine was normally aspirated, the performance of the engine was reduced at a high altitude. Further, the airplane was about 500 ft above terrain when the downdraft occurred. Considering that downdrafts in high mountainous terrain can exceed 1,000 ft per minute, the pilot did not maintain adequate altitude for the operating environment.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Other weather encounter during maneuvering
- Low altitude operation/event during maneuvering defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › (general) › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › (general) › Contributed to outcome
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › Terrain induced turbulence › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,904 hours in all; 454 in this make and model; 25 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,093 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 11, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470R (piston); 897 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 46U Alpine CO at 3:00 pm
- Destination: 46U Alpine CO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 14 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.30 inHg
- Observation at 3:30 pm from 46U
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.