SEA05FA013

During a night cross country flight in known adverse weather conditions, the private pilot, with the assistance of air traffic control, was trying to divert into a nearby airport. The pilot reported rough turbulence and heavy rain to the controller. Radar tracking indicated that the flight was in an area of mountainous terrain when the aircraft descended below radar coverage. The wreckage was located on the side of a ridge line. Evidence indicated that the aircraft collided with a dead tree snag before colliding with rising terrain in a level attitude. Witnesses located north of the accident site reported hearing an aircraft fly overhead their residence. These witnesses reported heavy rain and high wind at the time. Post accident inspection of the wreckage and engine did not find evidence of a mechanical failure or malfunction.

History of flight

On October 29, 2004, about 2354 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172P, N53161, registered to a private individual and operated by Eagle Flight Center of Troutdale, Oregon, as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, collided with mountainous terrain located about 6 miles west of the Olympia, Washington, Airport. Visual meteorological conditions were reported at the Olympia Airport and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft was substantially damaged and the private pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The flight departed from Paine Field, Everett, Washington, about one hour prior to the accident and was destined to Troutdale, Oregon.

Personnel from Eagle Flight Center reported that on October 29, the pilot rented the aircraft and checked out the gas card around 1700. The aircraft was to be returned by noon on 10/30/04.

The Supervisor of the Air Traffic Controllers at Paine Field reported that she listened to the tower tapes following the accident and reported that the aircraft arrived in the Paine Field area about 1930. The pilot indicated to the controller that she could not see the field and the controller responded that she was right over the field. The pilot then asked if the lights could be turned up, which they were. The pilot then entered a left downwind and landed without incident. The controller reported that the next encounter with the aircraft was about 2045 when it departed from the airport. The tower closed at 2100.

The pilot's cousin reported that he had received a call from the pilot indicating that she was flying up to visit him and would be arriving about 1800. The cousin informed her that he thought that the ceiling was low, however, the pilot assured him that she had checked the weather. About 2000, the cousin received a call from the pilot indicating that she had arrived. The cousin then met her at the airport. The pilot reported to her cousin that she had gotten lost finding the airport, but that the controller helped her out. About 2045 they took off for a local flight for about 45 minutes before returning to Paine Field. The cousin reported that she got lost finding the airport, and that he helped her out. When they landed, they taxied to the fuel pumps at Regal Air. The pilot was unable to get fuel from Regal Air and instead utilized a mobile fueler from Everett Jet Center. The cousin reported that he left around 2200. About 2210, he received a call from the pilot who indicated that she received fuel from the mobile fueler.

The fueler from Everett Jet Center reported that he fueled the aircraft from a truck with 18.3 gallons of fuel around 2200. The fueler reported that it was very windy and had blown over the ladder while he was attaching the ground cable. He reported that the pilot was walking around inspecting the aircraft and appeared confident and joking around. The fueler made the comment about the wind and asked the pilot if she had to leave that night. He also reported that he could arrange to have the aircraft tied down for the night and arrange transportation as the weather would probably be better the next day. The pilot declined the offers.

At 2244, the pilot contacted Seattle Approach reporting that she was three miles southwest of Paine Field and requested flight following to Troutdale, Oregon.

Two residents of Olympia, and about five miles north of the accident site, contacted the NTSB Investigator-In-Charge (IIC) following the accident and reported hearing the engine of a small aircraft over or near their residence sometime around mid-night. Both witnesses reported that the weather was strong, gusting winds and heavy rain at the time. Both reported that the engine sounded like it was "mis-firing or cutting out for brief moments," or "power surging."

Radar contact and communications with the aircraft were lost at 2353. The flight path had been over mountainous terrain at the time. Search agencies were notified and the wreckage was located on October 30, 2004, at 0840, about 200 feet below a 1,700 foot ridge line in a clear-cut area.

Personnel information

At the time of the accident the pilot held a private pilot certificate for single-engine land aircraft which was issued on July 29, 2004. The pilot's flight log book was not located and presumed destroyed in the accident. Personnel from Eagle Flight Center where the pilot had received instruction for the private pilot certificate and was currently working on the instrument rating and commercial certificate, reported that the pilot had accumulated about 105 flight hours at the time of the accident. About 48 hours was as pilot-in-command and about 10 hours had been accumulated during night time operation.

Aircraft information

Maintenance logbooks indicated that an annual inspection was accomplished on September 1, 2004, at an airframe total time of 10,181.9 hours. Check-out records for the aircraft indicated that on October 27, 2004, the last flight before the accident flight, the ending tachometer reading was 10,246.1. No open discrepancies were noted for the aircraft.

The aircraft was equipped with a Textron Lycoming O-320-D2J engine. The maintenance logbooks indicated that the engine was overhauled on February 13, 2003. The engine had accumulated about 958 hours since major overhaul at the time of the accident.

Meteorological information

At 2214, the pilot contacted Seattle Flight Service requesting a standard VFR weather briefing from Paine Field to Troutdale, Oregon, departing at 30 minutes past the hour. The pilot reported that the flight duration would be one and a half hours at 5,500 feet.

The specialist reported airmets for mountain obscurement and occasional moderate turbulence below 15,000 feet and occasional moderate rime or mixed icing. The freezing levels were dropping from 4,000 to 5,000 feet on up to 16,000 feet. A cold front was moving on shore with a moist and unstable air mass with a moderate south, southwesterly flow aloft.

The winds at Paine Field were from 170 degrees at 19 knots, with a visibility of 10 miles. The ceiling was 4,400 feet broken, 6,000 feet broken and 12,000 feet overcast. The temperature was 11 degrees C.

Light rain was reported throughout western Washington with ceilings anywhere from 3,000 feet to 6,000 feet broken to overcast. Visibilities were from four to nine miles.

At Troutdale, the wind was calm, with a visibility of 10 miles. The ceiling was 3,800 feet overcast. The temperature was 11 degrees C, and the dewpoint was 9 degrees C.

Pilot reports from 20 miles northwest of Seattle, reported heavy snow at 6,000 feet, with a temperature of -1 degrees C. Another pilot report from 35 miles northwest of Seattle, reported at 3,000 feet, light rain and turbulence, with a 7,000 foot broken ceiling.

The en route forecast reported broken clouds at 1,500 feet, 3,000 feet to 5,000 feet overcast with occasional light rain. Winds were forecast from 200 degrees at 18 knots, with gusts to 28 knots.

Paine Field's forecast through midnight was wind from 170 degrees at 16 knots, gusting to 26 knots with light rain. The ceiling was 3,500 feet broken and 4,000 feet overcast. Occasional visibilities were three miles in moderate rain.

For Troutdale, the forecast was 2,200 feet broken and 3,500 feet overcast through midnight.

The winds en route at 3,000 feet were from 200 degrees at 42 knots, and at 6,000 feet were from 230 degrees at 53 knots, with temperature at minus 1 degrees C.

The pilot then asked the specialist for the wind at 6,000 feet again. The specialist reported 230 degrees at 53 knots, and at 3,000 feet, 42 knots. The pilot acknowledged "Wow" with laughter.

The pilot then asked for the weather at Toledo and the Centralia, Washington area. The specialist reported that Toledo did not report that late in the evening.

The specialist then gave the pilot the weather at Olym