- Date
- February 1, 1990, 18:45 local (Feb 2, 1990, 01:45 UTC)
- Place
- Castle Rock, WA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8859JPiper PA28-180
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report September 21, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900201001509A
- Case key
- 41098
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 lost control of the airplane which entered a stall/spin that the pilot did not recover from.
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
During a pleasure flt in visual to IMC, the private plt reported to ATC that he was circling up through a hole in the clouds looking for clear skies inorder to proceed northbound. The plt was unable to get on top of the clouds and descended to try and get under the clouds. The plt was cautioned that VFR flight was not recommended due to cloud conditions, obscured mountains and low freezing levels. The plt last transmitted, that he was proceeding under the clouds when radar and radio contact was lost. The airplane was found in a heavily wooded area with the fuselage positioned vertical to the terrain. There were no noted mechanical failures or malfunctions.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8859J
- Reported as
- Piper PA28-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-2825
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A3A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Jacobson, George E.
- Registered owner
- Jacobson, George E
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- HIO · Portland, OR
- Destination
- PAE · Everett, 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
- 62
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 2,191 total · 1,815 in this make and model · 2,125 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 160° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 41 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- KLS, 8 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.