CESSNA 182L

Full Narrative

On April 13, 2025, about 0850 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 182L, N182VE, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Erie, Nevada. The pilot and two passengers were uninjured, and one passenger sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
The pilot reported that he had departed Henderson Executive Airport, Las Vegas, Nevada (HND) for a personal scenic flight around the Las Vegas area about 0830. The pilot climbed to 3,500 ft mean sea level (msl) and configured the airplane for cruise flight with 2,300 rpm and 23 inches of manifold pressure until they were about 3 miles southwest of HND. The pilot then increased the engine and propeller settings to 2500 rpm and 25 inches of manifold pressure to climb to 4,500 ft msl. The pilot reported that the airplane would not climb, slowly lost airspeed, and eventually it would not maintain altitude. The pilot elected to initiate an emergency landing on a road adjacent to Interstate 15. During the landing, the pilot noticed oncoming vehicular traffic and maneuvered the airplane into a ditch, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings.
The airplane and engine were recovered to a secure location for further examination.