Cessna 182P N79404

Summary

On 4 August 2004 at about 04:53 local time, a Cessna 182P registered N79404 was involved in an accident near Port Angeles, Washington, United States. 3 people were on board and one died, 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

4 August 2004 at 04:53

Classification

Accident

Location

Port Angeles, Washington, United States

Coordinates

48.0311, -123.4369

Aircraft

Cessna 182P

Registration

N79404

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Port Angeles → Seattle

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

SEA04FA154

1 person died.

The pilot's VFR flight into IMC and his failure to maintain clearance from trees. Trees, mountainous terrain, dark night conditions, clouds and VFR flight into IMC were factors.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The passengers reported that shortly after takeoff in dark night conditions, the pilot made a turn toward rising terrain. During the climb, the aircraft entered clouds. The passenger could see terrain on both sides of the aircraft and questioned the pilot as to what mountain she was seeing. The pilot responded, "just a minute." The aircraft then suddenly broke out of the cloud and the passenger could see trees in front of the airplane. The pilot pulled up, but the aircraft collided with the tree tops and tumbled through the trees for several hundred feet before coming to rest. The passengers reported no engine or aircraft malfunction or physiological problems with the pilot at the time. Rain, clouds and fog were reported in the area at the time.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.