Piper PA-22-135 N8721C

Summary

On 8 July 2011 at about 16:05 local time, a Piper PA-22-135 registered N8721C was involved in an accident near Verlot, Washington, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 July 2011 at 16:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Verlot, Washington, United States

Coordinates

48.1233, -121.6639

Aircraft

Piper PA-22-135

Registration

N8721C

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Elk → Arlington

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR11FA319

2 people died.

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.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.