# Accident 19981225044239A: Cessna 177, Bellingham, WA, December 25, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 25, 1998, 19:03 local time
- Place: Bellingham, WA
- Airport: Bellingham International
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Climb
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 48.8071° N, 122.5391° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs from the FAA’s distance and direction from , within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=48.8071&lon=-122.5391&mi=10
- Aircraft: N2355Y, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N2355Y) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 177 (registry code 2073704, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-177) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 177
- Reported engine: LYC O320E2D
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,052 total, 934 in this make and model, 8 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB SEA99LA025](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA99LA025) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19981225044239A

## Narrative

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

(.19)ON DECEMBER 25, 1998, ABOUT 1903 PACIFIC STANDARD TIME A CESSNA 177 CARDINAL, N2355Y, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT AS A 14 CFR PART 91 PLEASURE FLIGHT, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AFTER COLLIDING WITH TREE TOPS WHILE ON APPROACH TO THE BELLINGHAM AIRPORT (BLI), BELLINGHAM WASHINGTON. NIGHT VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER WERE UNINJURED.  THERE WAS NO FIRE, AND NO REPORT OF AN ELT ACTUATING.  THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE BELLINGHAM AIRPORT APPROXIAMTELY 10 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.  DURING A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW, THE PILOT STATED THAT SHORTLY AFTER TAKE OFF, DURING THE ASCENT, HE ENCOUNTERED INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS, AND INITIATED A TURN BACK TO THE AIRPORT.  DURING THE TURN HE COLLIDED WITH MULTIPLE TREE TOPS.  THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE TO THE AIRPORT AND LAND WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.                                                                (-23) IT APPEARS THE PILOT FLEW INTO CLOUDS AND TEMPORAILY LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

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 SEA99LA025](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA99LA025), Dec 26, 1998: Cessna 177 (N2355Y), Bellingham, WA, substantial damage. Probable cause: Inadequate preflight planning/preparation, and the pilot's failure to maintain altitude. VFR flight into IMC conditions and cloudy weather conditions were factors.

## Other reports on N2355Y (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 19790528028129I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19790528028129I), May 28, 1979: Cessna 177 (N2355Y), Richland, WA. Forced landing due to fuel exhaustion.

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.

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