20001009015579A

Accident · No damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 208B · Lummi Island, WA · October 9, 2000

Date: October 9, 2000 · 09:52 local
Place: Lummi Island, WA
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: COEA
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N941FE
NTSB investigation: NTSBSEA01FA001
Reported as: Cessna 208B
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1

N941FERegistration cancelled Jan 26, 2001 · Cessna 208BS/N 208B0192 Airframe modelCessna 208B

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.

(-23) N941FE impacted trees in inverted flight on the northwest end of Lummi Island in Washington state. The a/c was being operated under visual flight rules from the bellington Washington airport to the orcas Island airport. Witnesses on Lummi Island stated that fog, low clouds, and poor visibilities prevailed at the time of the qccident. At approx. 0945 local time, a federal express caravan was observed flying at a low altutude (between 50 and 100 feet) above the water in a nw'ly direction along the northern shoreline of Lummi Island. This a/c was subsequently observed turning inland towards rising terrain. Approx. 3 feet of the outboard section of the left wing was not recovered at the accident site, and to date has not been accounted for. A 29 inch section of the left horizontal stabilizer was later recovered at the crest of a hill approx. 1300 feet NE of the accident site, along with the severed top 10 feet of a cedar tree.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) N941FE IMPACTED TREES IN INVERTED FLIGHT ON THE NORTHWEST END OF LUMMI ISLAND IN WASHINGTON STATE. THE A/C WAS BEING OPERATED UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES FROM THE BELLINGTON WASHINGTON AIRPORT TO THE ORCAS ISLAND AIRPORT. WITNESSES ON LUMMI ISLAND STATED THAT FOG, LOW CLOUDS, AND POOR VISIBILITIES PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE QCCIDENT. AT APPROX. 0945 LOCAL TIME, A FEDERAL EXPRESS CARAVAN WAS OBSERVED FLYING AT A LOW ALTUTUDE (BETWEEN 50 AND 100 FEET) ABOVE THE WATER IN A NW'LY DIRECTION ALONG THE NORTHERN SHORELINE OF LUMMI ISLAND. THIS A/C WAS SUBSEQUENTLY OBSERVED TURNING INLAND TOWARDS RISING TERRAIN. APPROX. 3 FEET OF THE OUTBOARD SECTION OF THE LEFT WING WAS NOT RECOVERED AT THE ACCIDENT SITE, AND TO DATE HAS NOT BEEN ACCOUNTED FOR. A 29 INCH SECTION OF THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER WAS LATER RECOVERED AT THE CREST OF A HILL APPROX. 1300 FEET NE OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, ALONG WITH THE SEVERED TOP 10 FEET OF A CEDAR TREE.

NTSB investigation

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

NTSB SEA01FA001Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportLummi Island, WAThe pilot's attempted flight into known adverse weather conditions, and his subsequent failure to maintain altitude above, or clearance with, trees. Factors contributing to the accident included low ceilings, fog, the pilot's low-altitude flight, rising…Oct 9, 2000 · Substantial damage