- Date
- March 22, 2000, 13:50 local (21:50 UTC)
- Place
- Quincy, WA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N229CPCessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 4, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000322006259A
- Case key
- 51317
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Failure to maintain terrain clearance. Factors include mountainous/hilly terrain.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The airplane was substantially damaged when it collided with terrain in a mountainous area. The pilot stated to FAA inspectors that he had been looking at elk when he turned up a draw with rising terrain. He started with ten degrees of flaps, increasing flaps to 30 degrees, then full flaps before colliding with rising terrain straight ahead. An FAA inspector noted that the airplane had apparently flown straight up the center of the draw before crashing.
Factual narrative
On March 22, 2000, approximately 1350 Pacific standard time, a Cessna 172, N229CP, was substantially damaged when it collided with terrain in mountainous terrain near Quincy, Washington. The private pilot and his passenger were uninjured. No flight plan was originated for the flight, which had departed Moses Lake, Washington, about 1300. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight was to be conducted under 14 CFR 91.
The pilot stated to FAA inspectors that he had been looking at elk when he turned up a draw with rising terrain. He started with ten degrees of flaps, increasing flaps to 30 degrees, then full flaps before colliding with rising terrain straight ahead. An FAA inspector noted that the airplane had apparently flown straight up the center of the draw before crashing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N229CP
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172-71223
- Airframe hours
- 5,700
- Engine
- Continental O-320H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Columbia Pacific Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- MWH · Moses Lake, WA
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 29
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 320 total · 20 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- KMW
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.