- Date
- June 14, 1992, 10:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Sula, MT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N212MBeech K35
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920614020229A
- Case key
- 42833
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
Poor inflight planning/decision. Factors to the accident were: delayed remedial action, a white out weather condition and inadequate clearance.
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 reported that while cruising VFR through a mountain pass at approximately 1,000 to 1,200 feet AGL, the flight encountered a white out condition and entered IMC. The pilot immediately initiated a climbing left turn to reverse course; however, during the turn, the airplane collided with trees on the valley wall.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N212M
- Reported as
- Beech K35
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- D-5874
- Airframe hours
- 3,900
- Engine
- Continental IO-470-C, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Mcchristy, John C.
- Registered owner
- Mcchristy, John C.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 10, 1992 · 30 hours before
- Departed
- FCA · Kalispell, MT
- Destination
- 20V · Kremmling, CO
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,000 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 9 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 45 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.