# Accident 19791211044079A: Piper PA24, White Pass, WA, December 11, 1979

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 11, 1979, 19:05 local time
- Place: White Pass, WA
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Descent
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Aircraft: N6171P, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N6171P-2013-02-25) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-24-180 (registry code 7102403, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-24-180) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA24
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 3
- Pilot flight hours: 1,096 total, 150 in this make and model, 150 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB SEA80FAMS1](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA80FAMS1), [NTSB SEA80FA047](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA80FA047) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19791211044079A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (2)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB SEA80FAMS1](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA80FAMS1), Dec 11, 1979: Piper PA-24 (N6171P), Missing Aircraft, destroyed, 4 fatal
- [NTSB SEA80FA047](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA80FA047), Dec 11, 1979: Piper PA-24 (N6171P), White Pass, WA, destroyed, 4 fatal

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.