Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Rainier, Washington 98576
Thursday, December 7, 1989 19:47 PST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

DURING A WX BRIEFING, THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED CANADIAN PLT WAS ADVISED THAT VFR FLT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED. HOWEVER, HE DEPARTED WITH A VFR FLT PLAN & RCVD VFR FLT FOLLOWING FROM ATC. WHILE CRUISING AT NIGHT AT 3000 FT MSL, HE WAS NOTIFIED THAT RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST & TO RESUME HIS OWN NAVIGATION. A FREQ CHANGE WAS APPROVED & NO THERE WAS NO FURTHER COMMUNICATION WITH THE ACFT. SUBSEQUENTLY, IT COLLIDED WITH TREES & CRASHED IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. EVIDENCE OF TREE CONTACT WAS FOUND AT AN ELEVATION OF 2800 FT. THE MAIN WRECHAGE CAME TO REST ON LOWER TERRAIN ABOUT 1500 FT BEYOND & 1000 FT BELOW THE INITIAL IMPACT POINT. ABOUT 11 MI WEST AT OLYMPIA (ELEV 206 FT), THE 1950 PST WX WAS IN PART: 3000 FT OVC, VIS 5 MI, WIND FM 200 DEG AT 20 KTS. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

CONTINUED FLIGHT BY THE PILOT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE/CLEARANCE FROM WOODED MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARKNESS AND THE WEATHER/TERRAIN CONDITIONS.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 12/7/1989
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 1947
Event Time Zone Pacific Standard Time
Event City RAINIER
Event State WASHINGTON
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 98576
Event Date Year 1989
Event Date Month 12
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 0
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 350 Pacific Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 277
Weather Observation Facility ID OLM
Elevation of weather observation facility 206
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 11
Time Zone of the weather observation PST
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 0
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 8
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 7
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 200
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 10
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Light
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 6016
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Dec 12 1989 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1230
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 41214
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 1:16PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number CFOXF
NTSB Number SEA90FA028
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed VFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 210-5 (205)
Aircraft Series Identifier 210-5 (205
Aircraft Serial Number 205-0355
Certified Max Gross Weight 3298
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class Foreign Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 4
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Sep 17 1989 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 12
Airframe Hours 5978
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name CHARLES SLATER
Aircraft Owner Street Address 2407 COURSOL
Aircraft Owner City MONTREAL QUEBEC
Aircraft Owner State OF
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name THY OLDE RENT-A-PLANE CO
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 5301 AIRPORT RD SOUTH
Operator City RICHMOND
Operator State CD
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code BLI
Departure City BELLINGHAM
Departure State WA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1840
Departure Time Zone PST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code PDX
Destination City PORTLAND
Destination State OR
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Cruise
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length 0
Runway Width 0
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --