- Date
- October 1, 2005, 19:00 local (Oct 2, 2005, 02:00 UTC)
- Place
- Greenwater, WA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N4175UCessna 150D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report January 31, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20051001023189A
- Case key
- 62594
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
The pilot's inadvertently flying into IMC weather conditions, his failure to maintain sufficient airspeed for flight, and his subsequent inadvertent stall/mush into trees. Contributing factors were the fog and the trees.
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 pilot said that soon after departure from runway 33, he inadvertently entered a fog "bank." He said that he attempted a climbing right turn to return to the clear air over the departure runway. He said that his airspeed dropped, and the aircraft stalled subsequently impacting trees and descended vertically to the mountain side. The airplane came to rest inverted bending and wrinkling both wings and the fuselage.
Factual narrative
On October 1, 2005, at approximately 1900 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 150D, N4175U, was destroyed when it impacted terrain near Greenwater, Washington. The private pilot (non-instrument rated), the sole occupant in the aircraft, received minor injuries. The pilot/owner was operating the airplane under 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal cross-country flight that was originating at the time of the accident. The pilot said that his destination was Thun Field (1S0), Puyallup, Washington; he had not filed a flight plan.
The pilot said that soon after departure from runway 33, he inadvertently entered a fog "bank." He said that he attempted a climbing right turn to return to the clear air over the departure runway. He said that his airspeed dropped, and the aircraft stalled subsequently impacting trees and descended vertically to the mountain side. The airplane came to rest inverted bending and wrinkling both wings and the fuselage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4175U
- Reported as
- Cessna 150D
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15060175
- Airframe hours
- 10,330
- Engine
- Continental O-200, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Thomas A. Werth
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 2005
- Departed
- 21W · Greenwater, WA
- Destination
- 1SO · Puyallup, WA
- Airport
- 21W · Ranger Creek Airport, runway 33, 2,875 × 30 ft, asphalt
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
- 57
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 1, 2004
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,850 total · 0 in this make and model · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 0° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 39 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.79 inHg
- Observed at
- SMP, 11 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.