Cessna 175 N6642E

Summary

On 14 February 1988 at about 03:30 local time, a Cessna 175 registered N6642E, operated by Bruce W. Fairchild, was involved in an accident near Stevens Pass, Washington, United States. 3 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

14 February 1988 at 03:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Stevens Pass, Washington, United States

Coordinates

47.6405, -121.3300

Aircraft

Cessna 175

Registration

N6642E

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Bruce W. Fairchild

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Yakima → Snohomish

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

SEA88LA047

1 person had minor injuries.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

PLANNED FLT WAS VFR TRANSIT OF CASCADE MOUNTAINS IN DAYLIGHT. PLT FILED VFR FLT PLAN; WX BRIEF INDICATED VFR. UNFORESEEN DELAYS RESULTED IN ARRIVAL AT PLANNED MOUNTAIN PASS OVER ONE HOUR LATE AND WX NO LONGER VMC. PLT COULD SEE ALTERNATE PASS TO NORTH APPEARED BETTER AND AMENDED FLT PLAN VIA STEVENS PASS DESPITE FSS ADVISORY OF VNR UNDER CLOUDS THROUGH CASCADES. FLT ARRIVED AT STEVENS PASS AFTER DARK; HOWEVER, LIGHTS FOR NIGHT SKIING ILLUMINATED PASS AND FLT PROCEEDED. AFTER BEGINNING DESCENT ALONG HIGHWAY AFTER PASS TRANSIT, PLT SAID HE ENCOUNTERED IMC AND LOST VISUAL REFERENCE WITH KNOWN HIGH TERRAIN ON BOTH SIDES. PLT INITIATED CLIMB BUT MUSHED INTO TREES ON RISING TERRAIN AHEAD.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.