- Date
- February 12, 1992, 11:40 local (18:40 UTC)
- Place
- West Glacier, MT
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- CGRRZGrumman American AA-5B
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 14, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 41570
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 inflight encounter with IMC weather by the non-instrument rated pilot. Factors relating to the accident were the weather conditions, the mountainous/hilly terrain, and lack of instrument qualification 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.
In flight encounter with weather
Weather condition - obscurationFactor
Weather condition - whiteoutFactor
Terrain condition - mountainous/hillyFactor
Vfr flight into imc - encounteredCause
QualificationFactor
In flight collision with terrain/water
Terrain condition - mountainous/hillyFactor
Analysis
The non-instrument rated pilot encountered IMC weather conditions in a mountain pass and the acft impacted terrain during a turn to reverse course.
Aircraft
- Registration
- CGRRZ
- Reported as
- Grumman American AA-5B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- AA5B-0279
- Airframe hours
- 710
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4K, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Smith, Willard A.
- Registered owner
- Smith, Willard A.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 29, 1991 · 82 hours before
- Departed
- EG3 · Lacombe
- Destination
- FCA · Kalispell, MT
- Flight plan
- VFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 57
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 791 total · 307 in this make and model · 746 as pilot in command · 22 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 34 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FCA, 31 nm away