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19980331004839A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Cessna P210N · Royal City, WA · March 31, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information PortalNTSB investigation search

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Date
March 31, 1998 · 09:40 local
Place
Royal City, WA
Phase of flight
Normal Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
CGBFM
Reported as
Cessna P210N
Reported engine
Continental TSIO520P
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
3
Pilot’s flight hours
2,100 total

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.

Continued flight VFR into IMC. Lost control and crashed. (.4)the flight took off under visual flight rules with an approximate 1,000 foot overcast layer. No flight plan was filed. The route of flight was southbound toward an approximate 2,200 foot mountain ridge line. Witnesses heard the aircraft fly overhead, but could not see the aircraft due to the low overcast layer that obscured the ridge. Another witness reported that he was at the top of the ridge about 20 minutes after the accident. This witness reported that the visibility was about 100 feet with light drizzle. After the overcast lifted several hours later, the wreckage was spotted about 100 feet below the ridge line. On-site investigation determined that the aircraft collided with the mountain on a southerly heading. Wreckage was distributed for approximately 200 feet along a 10 degree upslope. A post crash fire destroyed the cabin and a majority of the wings. Follow-up investigation and engine teardown did not reveal evidence of a mechanical failure or malfunction. (-23) no narrative

As the FAA filed it

CONTINUED FLIGHT VFR INTO IMC. LOST CONTROL AND CRASHED. (.4)THE FLIGHT TOOK OFF UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES WITH AN APPROXIMATE 1,000 FOOT OVERCAST LAYER. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT WAS SOUTHBOUND TOWARD AN APPROXIMATE 2,200 FOOT MOUNTAIN RIDGE LINE. WITNESSES HEARD THE AIRCRAFT FLY OVERHEAD, BUT COULD NOT SEE THE AIRCRAFT DUE TO THE LOW OVERCAST LAYER THAT OBSCURED THE RIDGE. ANOTHER WITNESS REPORTED THAT HE WAS AT THE TOP OF THE RIDGE ABOUT 20 MINUTES AFTER THE ACCIDENT. THIS WITNESS REPORTED THAT THE VISIBILITY WAS ABOUT 100 FEET WITH LIGHT DRIZZLE. AFTER THE OVERCAST LIFTED SEVERAL HOURS LATER, THE WRECKAGE WAS SPOTTED ABOUT 100 FEET BELOW THE RIDGE LINE. ON-SITE INVESTIGATION DETERMINED THAT THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH THE MOUNTAIN ON A SOUTHERLY HEADING. WRECKAGE WAS DISTRIBUTED FOR APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET ALONG A 10 DEGREE UPSLOPE. A POST CRASH FIRE DESTROYED THE CABIN AND A MAJORITY OF THE WINGS. FOLLOW-UP INVESTIGATION AND ENGINE TEARDOWN DID NOT REVEAL EVIDENCE OF A MECHANICAL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. (-23) NO NARRATIVE