ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 177752
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| Date: | Saturday 11 July 2015 |
| Time: | 16:00 |
| Type: |  Beechcraft A35 Bonanza |
| Owner/operator: | Bowman Lee |
| Registration: | N8749A |
| MSN: | D-2171 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1949 |
| Engine model: | Continental E-225-8 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | North Cascades, west of Mazama, WA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Kalispell, MT (S27) |
| Lynden, WA (38W) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
A review of recorded communications between the pilot and a flight service station revealed that, before the flight, the noninstrument-rated, private pilot received two formal weather briefings. Both briefings reported that visual flight rules (VFR) conditions existed at the departure and destination airports but included forecast weather conditions along the route of flight that called for areas of mountain obscuration and precipitation. During the first briefing, the pilot disclosed that he had recently acquired a new tablet and that he was still learning how to use it. He also acknowledged that he would not be able to fly instrument flight rules if it became necessary.
The pilot postponed his departure after the first briefing, but he and two passengers departed for the cross-country personal flight under VFR about 2 hours after the second briefing. The surviving passenger reported that, about 1 1/2 hours into the flight, the cloud coverage increased and that the pilot started to descend the airplane to stay clear of clouds; however, the airplane entered a cloud. At that time, the other passenger was using the pilot’s tablet to help him navigate the airplane, but she accidentally turned it off. Shortly after, the surviving passenger observed trees directly in front of the windshield. The pilot pulled back on the yoke to try and gain altitude, but the airplane impacted mountainous terrain at an elevation of about 5,255 ft mean sea level.
The wreckage was confined to the impact area, and the damage was consistent with controlled flight into terrain. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. A review of satellite imagery indicated cloudy conditions over the accident location. Given the passenger’s statement, the flight likely encountered instrument meteorological conditions, and the pilot was unable to see the mountainous terrain until seconds before the collision.
Probable Cause: The noninstrument-rated pilot’s decision to continue visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in his failure to maintain clearance from mountainous terrain.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
FAA register: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=8749A
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 13-Jul-2015 08:50 | gerard57 | Added |
| 13-Jul-2015 16:54 | Geno | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Location, Destination airport, Source] |
| 13-Jul-2015 18:48 | Chieftain | Updated [Departure airport] |
| 14-Jul-2015 01:26 | Geno | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 14-Jul-2015 16:47 | dfix1 | Updated [Location, Source, Narrative] |
| 14-Jul-2015 20:09 | Geno | Updated [Total fatalities, Other fatalities, Location, Departure airport, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 14-Jul-2015 20:11 | Geno | Updated [Narrative] |
| 15-Jul-2015 05:37 | reformFAAnow | Updated [Time, Location, Narrative] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:30 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 01-Dec-2017 15:04 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
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