ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 137335
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| Date: | Friday 8 July 2011 |
| Time: | 09:05 |
| Type: |  Piper PA-22-135 Tri Pacer |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N8721C |
| MSN: | 22-1368 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1953 |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-290 SERIES |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Near Liberty Mountain, about 15 miles east of Granite Falls, WA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Elk, WA |
| Arlington, WA (AWO) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The non-instrument rated pilot departed the airport for a 198-mile cross-country flight. Weather conditions at the departure airport were visual flight rules (VFR); however, the weather along the intended route of flight varied between VFR and instrument flight rules conditions. Weather satellite imagery from about 5 minutes before the time of the accident depicted an extensive area of low stratiform clouds throughout the area. No defined convective clouds were identified along the route of flight. The satellite images showed that clouds began about 50 miles east of the accident site and increased in coverage and thickness toward the intended destination. The images also depicted that an overcast layer of stratocumulus to nimbostratus clouds obscured the accident site. An area forecast for the day of the accident included a warning that the mountains would remain mostly obscured during the morning hours. It is likely that the pilot encountered clouds and failed to maintain terrain clearance. There was no record of official weather briefings, but the pilot may have obtained an unofficial weather brief from another source for the flight. Examination of the accident site via helicopter revealed that the airplane came to rest on steep sloping terrain just below a ridge line. The wreckage was mostly consumed by fire. An on scene examination of the airplane wreckage was not conducted due to terrain conditions and the wreckage was not recovered.
Probable Cause: The non-instrument rated pilot’s decision to continue visual flight into clouds and his failure to maintain clearance from terrain while maneuvering in an area of reduced visibility, low clouds, and mountain obscuration.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 10-Jul-2011 03:03 | gerard57 | Added |
| 10-Jul-2011 04:11 | RobertMB | Updated [Date, Time, Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Other fatalities, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:26 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 27-Nov-2017 16:59 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
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