WPR24FA270

The non-instrument-rated pilot’s decision to continue a visual flight rules flight into a rugged mountain area in deteriorating weather conditions, which resulted in impact with terrain.

The non-instrument-rated pilot and two passengers departed on a cross-country flight toward mountainous terrain. During the first portion of the flight, visual meteorological conditions prevailed; however, the overcast cloud layer became lower as the airplane continued into rising terrain. Recorded flight data revealed that the pilot maneuvered the airplane through and between several mountain canyons and valleys as he continued in the general direction of the intended destination. The airplane crossed several ridges with as little as about 250 ft of terrain clearance and made a series of turns each time it approached high terrain immediately ahead. The airplane continued through rising terrain, then climbed through a narrow upslope mountain pass at the edge of the range. As the airplane approached the pass, it began a substantially steeper climb as the airspeed slowed, followed by a rapid descent and impact with the canyon wall. Weather forecast and observation data indicated that the region where the flight was conducted was broadly covered by an overcast layer with localized areas of low clouds, fog and mist. Weather information that would have been available to the pilot before the flight forecast marginal to instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) with clouds obscuring the mountains along the route of flight. Witnesses who were hiking in the area around the time of the accident and who were first to arrive on the scene confirmed that the pass near the accident site was windy and frequently enveloped in fog. It is likely that as the airplane flew into narrow valleys with increasing elevation, cloud ceilings were lower than the surrounding mountains, and the distance between the surface and the overcast layer became more constrained as the airplane continued along the route. Given the low overcast and mountain obscuration, limited options to navigate or reverse course in narrow, constrained terrain, and known conditions in the upsloping mountain pass where the accident occurred, it is likely that the airplane entered an area of clouds and subsequently impacted terrain.

The pilot held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. He did not hold an instrument rating. He was issued an FAA third-class medical certificate without limitations in February 2024, at which time he reported 149 total hours of flight experience. The pilot’s spouse indicated that the pilot had recently reported he had accrued about 200 to 215 total hours of flight experience. The pilot’s logbook was not located following the accident. There was no indication that the pilot had completed a specialized mountain flying course or training. Previous Flights   Review of publicly available ADS-B flight records for the accident airplane, which was owned by the pilot, covering the period from January 2023 though August 2024 revealed that it was flown regularly in the Portland, Oregon, area. Additionally, many of the cross-country flights were flown direct, point-to-point. None of the recorded flights were in or over the Rocky Mountains or through complex mountainous terrain comparable to that of the accident flight. The airplane was manufactured in 1967 and powered by a Continental O-470-R series engine with a three-blade Hartzell constant-speed propeller. The airplane was equipped with a Garmin GTN650 GPS/NAV/COM and an autopilot. The last annual inspection of the airplane was recorded as being completed on March 18, 2024, at a total time of 3,200.4 airframe hours and 275.7 hours since major engine overhaul. Fuel records indicated that the pilot purchased 30.81 gallons of 100LL aviation fuel in Pullman, Washington, at 1012 on the morning of the accident flight. An autopsy performed by the State of Montana Office of Medical Investigators revealed that the pilot died as a result of blunt force injuries. Toxicology testing performed by the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory did not identify the presence of any screened drug substances or ingested alcohol. On August 08, 2024, at 1301 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 182K airplane, N2764Q, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Augusta, Montana. The pilot and two passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the pilot’s spouse, the pilot and passengers were traveling to an event in Bozeman, Montana. A review of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ADS-B information revealed that the airplane departed from Pullman Moscow Regional Airport, Pullman, Washington, about 1120. Following departure, the airplane continued on an east-northeasterly heading and maintained an altitude between 7,500 and 8,000 ft mean sea level (msl). The airplane’s ADS-B track ended when it entered mountainous terrain in the southernmost portion of the Bob Marshall Wilderness. The last ADS-B return was located about 25 nautical miles southwest of the accident site. An Appareo Stratus 3 portable electronic device was recovered from the airplane wreckage at the accident site. The recorded data included the entire accident flight, which started at 1120:00 and ended at 1301:48. The airplane made a direct flight from the departure airport over lower mountainous terrain before crossing near Seely Lake and flying through higher mountainous terrain in the Bob Marshall and Scapegoat Wilderness areas of the Rocky Mountains (see figure 1). Figure 1: Flight path showing flight track The flight track revealed that as the airplane continued eastbound through increasingly higher terrain, it turned consistent with following the lowest available terrain ahead, while progressively descending as it travelled further east. The airplane made about seven turns with greater than 45° heading changes before entering a canyon at the eastern edge of the mountain range (see figure 2). Figure 2: Airplane entering the last canyon At 1259:37, the airplane entered another narrow valley and continued maneuvering eastward at an altitude about 7,200 ft msl. At 1301:28, the airplane began to climb while the speed slowed. Over the next 12 seconds, the airplane climbed about 275 ft to 7,770 ft msl and its groundspeed decreased from about 90 knots (kts) to 45 kts. During the last 8 seconds of the recorded data, the airplane descended to 7,584 ft as its groundspeed increased to 74 kts (see figure 3). Figure 3: Last 8 seconds of the flight The accident site was located in a rugged, mountainous canyon 17 nm west of Augusta, Montana. The terrain consisted of loose scree beneath firmer ledges and rocky outcrops, bisected by a gradual central gully with forest vegetation. The south canyon wall reached an elevation of 8,450 ft msl, while the north wall, known as Crown Mountain, peaked at 8,400 ft msl. The airplane came to rest on a steep south-facing slope at an elevation of 7,550 ft msl. The airplane’s nose was oriented upslope on a magnetic heading about140°. The wreckage was scattered over a 90-ft area with the most distant debris, primarily windscreen fragments, located east of the main wreckage. The main wreckage, which included all major control surfaces, was found 800 ft below the cliff's top and 625 ft above the canyon floor (see figure 5). The fuselage and inboard sections of the wings had been consumed by fire. Figure 5: Accident site in reference to terrain Within the debris field, fragments of red and blue/green plastic navigation light lens covers were found east and west of the main wreckage, respectively, consistent with the wings impacting the terrain with the airplane in a nearly level attitude. The right and left wings came to rest upright, and the flap and aileron control surfaces remained attached at their respective hinges. The leading edges of both wings sustained aft crush damage and the bottom wing surfaces incurred the most damage, with the skin folded over on itself in an accordioned manner. The flap cables were attached at the drive pulley. The flap actuator extension was consistent with a flaps fully retracted position. An external examination of the engine revealed no evidence of a catastrophic failure. The most concentrated heat distress was at the accessory case, and the entire carburetor was melted. The upper spark plugs were removed from all cylinders and were light gray in color. According to the Champion Aviation Check-A-Plug AV-27 Chart, these spark plug signatures correspond to normal engine operation. Rocker covers were removed and oil was present at each location. Valves and rockers appeared normal. Examination of all cylinders revealed no foreign object damage, no evidence of detonation, and no indication of excessive oil consumption. There was no record of the pilot filing a flight plan or requesting flight following services. A High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) model sounding near the accident location at 1300 indicated overcast cloud cover extending from near the surface to approximately 10,000 ft. The freezing level was near 12,100 ft. Winds from the surface to about 9,000 ft were from the east at 5 to 10 kts, veering to westerly winds near 10 kts by 15,000 ft. The model did not identify significant turbulence layers in the altitude range relevant to the accident flight. Satellite imagery showed infrared brightness temperatures over the accident site consistent with cloud tops near 16,000 ft. These satellite products supported the presence of widespread cloud cover over the region at the time of the accident. Area Forecast Discussions noted lingering low clouds and the potential for scattered showers, particularly over terrain, with mountain obscuration expected in portions of central and southwestern Montana. G-AIRMETs are graphical aviation weather advisories that identify areas of widespread but less-than-severe hazards that could affect aircraft safety over a defined time period. On the day of the accident, G-AIRMETs were issued at 0845 and 1205 for “mountain obscuration in precipitation and mist.” Both