19791211044079A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Piper PA24 · White Pass, WA · December 11, 1979

Date
December 11, 1979 · 19:05 local
Place
White Pass, WA
Phase of flight
Descent
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N6171P
NTSB investigations
NTSBSEA80FAMS1NTSBSEA80FA047
Reported as
Piper PA24
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
3
Pilot’s flight hours
1,096 total150 in this make and model150 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Tried to traverse mountain area in winter storm. Airframe iced up. Unable to maintain altitude. Struck trees.

As the FAA filed it

TRIED TO TRAVERSE MOUNTAIN AREA IN WINTER STORM. AIRFRAME ICED UP. UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. STRUCK TREES.

NTSB investigation · 2

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.