20021126031949A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Cessna 172P · Wenatchee, WA · November 26, 2002

Date: November 26, 2002 · 11:30 local
Place: Wenatchee, WA
Airport: Pangborn Memorial Airport
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N65564
NTSB investigation: NTSBSEA03FA013
Reported as: Cessna 172P
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 2

N65564Registration cancelled Jun 16, 2003 · Cessna 172PS/N 17275778 · Built 1982 Airframe modelCessna 172P Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

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) A/c departed eat at about 1115 LCL for a local flight w/one passenger. After approximately 0.3 hours, a/c contacted tree tops at about 3620 ft MSL. In a wings-level cruise altitude. After contacting four trees, fuselage came to rest on RH side w/lh wing broken in two places and RH wing separated at the root. A/c was flying up-canyon and appears to have encountered IMC shortly before hitting trees. There was no apparent evasive action taken. Both persons on board were fatal. There was no post impact fire.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) A/C DEPARTED EAT AT ABOUT 1115 LCL FOR A LOCAL FLIGHT W/ONE PASSENGER. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 0.3 HOURS, A/C CONTACTED TREE TOPS AT ABOUT 3620 FT MSL. IN A WINGS-LEVEL CRUISE ALTITUDE. AFTER CONTACTING FOUR TREES, FUSELAGE CAME TO REST ON RH SIDE W/LH WING BROKEN IN TWO PLACES AND RH WING SEPARATED AT THE ROOT. A/C WAS FLYING UP-CANYON AND APPEARS TO HAVE ENCOUNTERED IMC SHORTLY BEFORE HITTING TREES. THERE WAS NO APPARENT EVASIVE ACTION TAKEN. BOTH PERSONS ON BOARD WERE FATAL. THERE WAS NO POST IMPACT FIRE.

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 SEA03FA013Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportMalaga, WAThe pilot's attempted VFR flight into IMC resulting in the aircraft colliding with trees and up sloping terrain. Contributing factors were clouds, trees, and uphill terrain. The pilot’s performance and judgment were likely impaired by the effects of…Nov 26, 2002 · Destroyed