- Date
- June 16, 1996, 16:10 local (23:10 UTC)
- Place
- Gardiner, WA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 3 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N1159CCessna 177B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 28, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960616013929A
- Case key
- 42395
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's inadequate compensation for wind conditions and failure to maintain the proper altitude/clearance from obstruction(s), while on final approach. Factors relating to the accident were: the downdraft, and the obstruction (tree).
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
While on final approach to land on runway 28, the pilot encountered a downdraft, and the aircraft's right wing struck a fir tree approximately 400 feet short of the threshold. The aircraft then descended to the ground, where it impacted and came to rest against a mobile home.
Factual narrative
On June 16, 1996, approximately 1610 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 177B, N1159C, registered to and being flown by a private pilot, was substantially damaged when the aircraft collided with a tree after undershooting the final approach to runway 28 at the Diamond Point airstrip, Gardiner, Washington. The pilot and two of the three passengers sustained minor injuries. A third passenger was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions existed and no flight plan had been filed. The flight, which was personal, was to have been operated under 14CFR91, and originated from Eastsound, Washington, approximately 1530.
The pilot reported that on final approach to runway 28 he encountered a downdraft and collided with a fir tree more than 400 feet short of the threshold. The aircraft then descended impacting and coming to rest against a mobile home a little over 300 feet short of the threshold and on the runway extended centerline.
The 1555 local surface winds reported at Port Angeles, located 23 nautical west southwest of the accident site, were 250 degrees magnetic at 10 knots gusting to 15 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1159C
- Reported as
- Cessna 177B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17702677
- Airframe hours
- 1,313
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1F6D, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- L. Neil Rutherford
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 16, 1995 · 44 hours before
- Departed
- ORS · Eastsound, WA
- Destination
- 2WA1
- Airport
- 2WA1 · Diamond Point Airstrip, runway 28, 2,335 × 20 ft, asphalt
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
- 78
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 895 total · 97 in this make and model · 845 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 35 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CLM, 23 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.