Cessna 177RG accident near Kent, WA
On May 20, 1995, a Cessna 177RG (airplane) was involved in an accident near Kent, WA. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- May 20, 1995
- Place
- Kent, WA
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177RG · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 1 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 47.360°N, 122.101°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001207X03556
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On May 19, 1995, approximately 2130 Pacific daylight time (PDT), a Cessna 177RG, N9ER, impacted a residence about one-quarter mile south of Crest Airpark, Kent, Washington. The private pilot received serious injuries, his two passengers perished in the ensuing fire, and the aircraft was destroyed. No flight plan had been filed for the personal pleasure flight, which departed from Harvey Field, Snohomish, Washington, about 20 minutes earlier. The pilot, who was on approach to land at Crest Airpark at the time of the accident, was operating in visual meteorological conditions. There was no report of an ELT activation. According to the pilot, he, his wife, and his son, departed Crest Airpark about 1730 on the evening of the accident. They flew to Harvey Field, had dinner at the on-field restaurant, and flew back to Crest. Witnesses who were operating their aircraft at Crest at the time N9ER entered the pattern said that the sun had disappeared over the horizon about 15 minutes earlier (see attached Solar and Lunar Events graph). They said that although there was still some faint light from the setting sun at traffic pattern altitude, it appeared dark down in the trees. They reported that the contrast between the dim light of the sun in the west and the darkness of the forest near the airstrip made the terrain look like one dark flat expanse with little definition. Two pilots, who were preparing for takeoff in the run-up area at the south end of the airstrip, saw N9ER enter a left downwind for runway 33 at Crest. They reported that there were two other aircraf
Probable cause
THE PILOT'S MISJUDGMENT OF DISTANCE AND ALTITUDE DURING THE APPROACH. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE THE DUSK LIGHT CONDITION AND THE SHADOWS.
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Browse: Washington · Cessna aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
