Cessna 182N accident near Las Vegas, Nevada, August 29, 2000
On August 29, 2000 at about 6:57 pm local time, a Cessna 182N, registered N92596, was destroyed in an accident near Las Vegas, Nevada. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions into rising terrain and the air traffic controller's failure to issue a Safety Advisory.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 29, 2000 · about 6:57 pm local time
- Place
- Las Vegas, Nevada · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182N · all 182Ns on the register
- Registration
- N92596 · no longer on the register · serial 18260275
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During cruise flight, the airplane collided with rising terrain while operating under visual flight rules. Prior to departure, Clearance Delivery issued a Class B visual flight rules departure to fly a heading of 270 degrees, climb to 4,000 feet msl, and transmit a transponder code of 4205. The ground controller questioned the pilot about the weather to the west, noting the visibility was no more than 4 to 5 miles from his perspective in the tower. The pilot acknowledged. After departure, the airplane was handed off to the Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON). The controller identified the airplane and asked the pilot to confirm heading and desired course. The pilot replied 270 heading and "going up V105." A climb to 5,500 feet msl was issued, which the pilot acknowledged. Airway V105 is about 8 nautical miles south of the accident site. The airplane exited Class B airspace to the west. TRACON instructed the pilot to maintain appropriate VFR altitudes, resume own navigation, and contact the west arrival sector. The pilot acknowledged the frequency change only, and continued his climb and heading for about 8 miles. He never contacted the west arrival sector. The west arrival controller accepted the automated handoff. About 10 minutes later, the controller noticed a loss of radar contact with the VFR airplane. The controller had the opportunity and ability to notice that the airplane was approaching high terrain and issued a warning to the pilot. Radar coverage of the airplane was maintained throughout the sector until impact and Mode C altitude returns were continuously received from the airplane. The airplane was dramatically below the minimum vectoring altitude when it entered the 9,200-foot Minimum Vectoring Altitude area about 5,800 feet, however, the controller took no note of this. According to FAA Order 7110.65, Part 2-1-6 Safety Alert, the controller should issue a safety alert to an aircraft if the controller is aware the aircraft is in a position/altitude which, in the controller's judgment, places it in unsafe proximity to terrain, obstructions, or other aircraft. The controller made one radio call to the pilot in the blind. The last radar contact occurred about 7,300 feet msl. The airplane subsequently impacted a vertical rock face in mountainous terrain at an elevation of 7,450 feet.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 796 hours in all; 274 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,936 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 10, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LAS NV at 6:47 pm
- Destination: CCR Concord CA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,500 ft
- Temperature: 162°F (72°C), dew point 158°F (70°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:56 pm from LAS, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.