- Date
- November 8, 1989, 08:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Snoqualmie, WA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N73422Cessna 172M
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 26, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891108066089A
- Case key
- 41118
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
Intentional flight into known adverse weather conditions and poor weather evaluation by the pilot.
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
Shortly after takeoff on an IFR flight, the plt reported that the airplane was unable to climb to the assigned altitude due to the accumulation of ice. The plt was cleared to return to the originating arpt. En route, the airplane descended below the mda in mountainous terrain and radio and radar contact was lost. With the aid of another airplane to relay messages, the plt was given vectors in the direction to lower terrain. The plt reported that he was in IMC when communication was lost. The airplane was found 8 months later. During the investigation there were no noted mechanical failures or malfunctions.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N73422
- Reported as
- Cessna 172M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17267446
- Airframe hours
- 2,339
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Evergreen Flying Club, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 21, 1989 · 161 hours before
- Departed
- RNT · Renton, WA
- Destination
- MWH · Moses Lake, WA
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 52
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,856 total · 141 in this make and model · 3,815 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SEA, 29 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.