Cessna 180F N37GC

Summary

On 8 July 2000 at about 21:15 local time, a Cessna 180F registered N37GC, operated by Bleasner, James S., was involved in an accident near Gold Bar, Washington, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 July 2000 at 21:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Gold Bar, Washington, United States

Coordinates

47.8603, -121.6594

Aircraft

Cessna 180F

Registration

N37GC

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Bleasner, James S.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Arlington → Spokane

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

Unk

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA00FA132

3 people died.

The non-instrument rated pilot's attempted VFR flight in instrument meteorological conditions. Contributing factors were mountainous terrain and cloud, low ceiling and obscuration conditions.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The non-instrument rated pilot and two passengers departed Arlington, Washington, in a Cessna 180F on a flight across the Cascade Mountains to Spokane, Washington. No flight plan had been filed and weather at the departure airport was 2,000-foot broken with lowering ceilings to the east. Raw radar data showed the aircraft tracking east-southeast with the last target recorded at 1410:01, at an estimated elevation of 5,200 feet and approximately 10 nautical miles east-southeast of the crash site. The aircraft impacted trees and +35 degree upsloping terrain in a wings level attitude, and the wreckage distribution was towards the north-northwest (299 degrees magnetic) at an elevation of approximately 3,850 feet MSL. Both propeller blade tips were separated from their respective propeller blades, and both blades displayed aftward bending and twisting deformation. Both wings separated at the fuselage wing root area. A logger located approximately one nautical mile north-northeast of the crash site at the time of the accident reported hearing an aircraft coming from the northwest circling back to the southwest followed by a 'backfire' or 'rifle-shot' like noise and then silence. The logger also reported poor visibility (overcast) with extremely cloudy/foggy conditions, and with heavy clouds/fog at elevations of 2,400 to 3,500 feet. He also reported that the tops of the ridges were fogged in from his observation point.'

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.