SEA01FA060

The Canadian ATP rated pilot, who was reported to have in excess of 30,000 hours of flight experience, was attempting to fly the company's Cessna U206G from Seattle, Washington, to Calgary, Alberta. He obtained 3 weather briefings from Seattle Flight Service between 0823 and 1040 on the day of the accident. VFR flight north to Vancouver, British Columbia, and east across the Cascade Mountains was not recommended and the pilot chose a southerly route taking him south from Renton, WA, to the Columbia River, then east along the River to The Dalles, Oregon, and then northeast to Spokane, WA, where he planned to stop en route to Calgary, Alberta. The pre-departure weather briefing, as well as the in-flight briefing the pilot subsequently received, as well as the validity of the weather information provided (forecasts and advisories) was found to be correct and satisfactory. Although the pilot was IFR rated, he did not file an IFR flight plan. Additionally, he filed his flight plan as transponder Mode "C" equipped, but approaching Spokane advised the tower that "...we're having some transponder trouble here...." The pilot's son reported that the aircraft's transponder was questionable. Unable to utilize radar vectors approaching the Spokane area due to the lack of a transponder signal, the pilot radioed "...I'm going to see if I can work my way over to Coeur d'Alene or go back south and pick up a small airport...." The aircraft was observed heading north-northeast at an elevation of approximately 300 feet AGL by a witness driving on highway 27 (2,600 MSL) . The witness reported that the aircraft was under the fog line and then it disappeared into the fog heading toward Mica Peak. The aircraft impacted trees on a heading of approximately 015 degrees and in a slightly nose up attitude before impacting the rising terrain near Mica Peak at an elevation of 4,760 feet MSL. The witness reported weather conditions at his location as poor visibility, strong rain, low clouds and fog.

History of flight

On March 8, 2001, at 1420 Pacific standard time (PST) a Canadian registered Cessna U206G, C-GISV, registered to Great Bear Aviation, Ltd., and being flown by a Canadian certificated airline transport pilot, was destroyed during a collision with trees/terrain five nautical miles east/northeast of Mica, Washington. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries. There was no fire. Instrument meteorological daylight conditions prevailed, and a VFR flight plan had been filed and activated. The flight, which was personal, was operated under 14CFR91, and originated from the Renton Municipal Airport, Renton, Washington (WA), approximately 1107 on the morning of the accident. Radio contact was lost with the aircraft at 1420 and a search was initiated. The aircraft was located on the afternoon of March 10, 2001.

According to personnel at Action Aviation, a fixed base operator (FBO) located on Renton Municipal airport, Renton, Washington, the fueler arrived at the FBO earlier than the usual opening time of 0730 to service an outgoing medevac flight on the morning of March 8. Upon his arrival at the FBO he encountered the pilot of C-GISV who reported that he had been at the FBO since 0300 local. The fueler allowed the pilot to sleep on the FBO's couch and reported that the aircraft departed around 1115.

The pilot's first known contact with the Seattle Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS) was at 0823 (March 8th). This was a telephonic preflight weather briefing for a flight from Renton (RNT) to Calgary (YYC), Alberta (AB), Canada, with an estimated departure time frame of 0930-1000. The briefing included routings from 1) Seattle, WA, to Vancouver, British Columbia (BC) and then to Calgary, 2) Seattle to Spokane, WA, and then Calgary, and 3) Seattle south toward Portland, Oregon (OR), then east along the Columbia River toward The Dalles, OR, and then Spokane. The briefer recommended against VFR flight and the pilot chose to delay the departure about an hour and then recheck the weather (refer to ATTACHMENT WB-I).

This initial contact was followed by a second call to the Seattle AFSS at 0944, during which the pilot received an updated weather briefing for a flight from RNT to Spokane (GEG). The briefing included routings from 1) Seattle to Spokane direct over the Cascade Mountains, and 2) Seattle to Spokane via a routing south toward Portland, east along the Columbia River toward The Dalles, and then Spokane. The briefer recommended against VFR flight on the direct routing and indicated that the southerly route was better. The briefer also advised the pilot that the recently transmitted terminal forecast for the Spokane area indicated VFR conditions with intermittent periods of overcast at 2,500 feet and three miles visibility due to moderate rain showers and mist. The pilot stated that he would call back in about 10-15 minutes to check on conditions on a direct routing (refer to ATTACHMENT WB-II).

At 1029, the pilot telephonically contacted Seattle AFSS and received an updated weather briefing. The briefer advised of an Airmet for IFR conditions in the Seattle area as well as mountain obscuration and icing for the direct routing concluding with "...certainly VFR wouldn't be recommended at this time...." The briefer continued, providing the pilot with current and forecast conditions along the routing south toward Portland, east along the Columbia River toward The Dalles, and then Spokane. The pilot then filed a Visual Flight Rules (VFR) flight plan with the briefer for the southerly route and terminated his telephone communication just before 1040 (refer to ATTACHMENTS FP-I and WB-III).

At 1106, C-GISV received clearance for takeoff from Renton, and at 1109 the Renton local controller, located at the Renton Air Traffic Control Tower, attempted to contact C-GISV to advise the pilot that his transponder was not being received. At 1114, the pilot contacted the Renton local controller requesting a frequency change and was advised of lack of transponder signal, and at 1115 the pilot activated his VFR flight plan (refer to ATTACHMENTS FPA - I and FAA 8020-6).

At 1237, the pilot radioed Seattle flight watch and provided a pilot report from the vicinity of the Dalles and was advised, "...we still show along the route for mountain obscurement and icing..." (refer to ATTACHMENT IF - I).

At 1352, the pilot radioed the GEG air traffic control tower stating he was "...15 south..." and requested the current weather. The controller responded including "...visibility 5, light rain, mist, few clouds at 700, our ceiling 1,100 overcast...," and the pilot responded with "...we have a lower ceiling where we are at this altitude...." The pilot indicated he wanted radar vectors to land at GEG and was then switched to Spokane approach control (refer to ATTACHMENT IF - II).

Just before 1354, the pilot contacted Spokane approach control indicating he was "12 south." He then requested vectors to land and, when given a discreet transponder code of 0345, advised approach "...we're having some transponder trouble here...." The pilot then radioed that he was 12 miles south of the airport inbound on 350 degrees at an altitude of 2,700 feet. The controller advised the pilot that he would be unable to provide radar vectors at his current altitude and the pilot indicated he was orbiting "...just on the bottom edge of the clouds...."

At 1357, the controller advised the pilot "...I won't be able to pick you up at that altitude so therefore I can't give you radar vectors to any type of approach or to the airport...," and the pilot then inquired as to the weather at Coeur d'Alene (COE), Idaho. The controller responded with the 1330 COE weather reporting in part "...visibility reported 7 miles, few clouds at 100, ceiling of a 2,000 overcast...," and the pilot radioed back in part "...I'm going to see if I can work my way over to Coeur d'Alene or go back south and pick up a small airport...," and stating the he was presently on the 347 degree radial of the GEG VOR inbound (refer to CHART I).

At 1402, after several inquiries from the controller, the pilot radioed that he was 21.7 miles out from the airport (which airport is not clear) and on an inbound track of 352.

At 1403, the controller inquired as to whether the pilot was still navigating toward GEG or going to try for COE. No response was received until 1417:29, when the pilot radioed in part "...on a heading to Coeur d'Alene of 020 and we're 22 miles out..." (refer to CHART II).

At 1419:54, the pilot radioed the controller "...Spokane center could you give me the ah last weather for Coeur d'Alene...?" This was the last known radio transmission from the pilot (refer to ATTACHMENT IF-III).

Thirty seconds after the initiation of this last radio call, Spokane approach control received a brief ELT transmission (1420:24).

A witness traveling in his automobile east on highway 27 about a mile southeast of Freeman, Washington, reported seeing a Cessna aircraft between 2:00 and 2:15 PM on the afternoon of the accident. He reported the aircraft as being about 300 feet above the elevation of the highway and heading northeast. He reported that the aircraft was under the fog line and then it disappeared into the fog heading toward Mica Peak (refer to attached Witness statement and associated chart).

Personnel information

The pilot had been issued a Canadian Airline Transport Pilot license on November 9, 2000. The license was valid for all single-pilot, non-high performance, single and multi-engine land and sea aeroplanes, as well as a Group 1 instrument rating and a Class 3 instructor rating. Additionally, he had been issued a Category 1 medical certificate on December 27, 2000, containing the restriction that "...glasses must be worn intra-ocular contact lens in left and right eye...."

No pilot logbook was located at the accident site. The