- Date
- March 5, 1991, 19:30 local (Mar 6, 1991, 03:30 UTC)
- Place
- Bellingham, WA
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- CGIXICessna 172N
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report June 16, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 41306
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
VFR flight by the non-instrument rated pilot into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), and his failure to maintain proper altitude and/or clearance from the mountainous terrain. Factors related to the accident were: darkness and the adverse weather and terrain conditions.
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 acft was 1 of 5 that were on a return trip from los angeles, CA, to abbotsford, british columbia, Canada. The flt crews had obtained wx info during stops at cresent city, CA, & newport, OR. After lndg at everett, WA, one of the flt crews filed a flt plan for all 5 acft. At that time, he was asked if he wanted a wx briefing, but he indcd they had already rcvd a brief for the route. Rprtdly, the plts also obtained wx info from a computer in the lobby of an FBO at everett. After depg everett on a ngt flt to abbotsford, the flts enctrd deteriorating wx with snow & clouds. The flt crews of 2 acft reversed course & lndd at an alternate arpt. The crew of a 3rd acft diverted, went over water, then contd en route. However, the 2 remaining acft (c-gixi & c-gjnm) collided with mountainous trrn abt 3 mi apart. C-gixi impacted on rough rocky trrn at an elev of abt 1200'. Abt 8 mi nw at Bellingham, WA (elev 158'), the 1950 wx was in part: 2100' bkn, 10 mi vis with rain, wind fm 240 deg at 6 KTS. The wreckage was fnd the next day cvrd with snow.
Aircraft
- Registration
- CGIXI
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17267609
- Airframe hours
- 6,577
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Trinity Western University
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · February 15, 1991 · 64 hours before
- Departed
- PAE · Everett, WA
- Destination
- CYXX · Abbotsford,Bc
- Flight plan
- VFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 24
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 157 total · 60 in this make and model · 92 as pilot in command · 42 in the last 90 days · 19 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 240° at 6 knots
- Temperature
- 37 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BLI, 8 nm away