Cessna 340A accident near Mead, WA
On December 14, 1995, a Cessna 340A (airplane) was involved in an accident near Mead, WA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- December 14, 1995
- Place
- Mead, WA
- Aircraft
- Cessna 340A · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 47.829°N, 117.211°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001207X05077
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On December 13, 1995, at 1816 Pacific standard time, N5GM, a Cessna 340A, was destroyed when it collided with terrain at Mount Spokane, near Mead, Washington. The commercial pilot, who was the sole occupant of the aircraft, was fatally injured. The aircraft had departed Spokane International airport at 1806 and was operating under 14 CFR 91 at the time of the crash. The pilot was en route on the business flight to pick up his employer at Sandpoint, Idaho. No flight plan was filed for the flight. According to a pilot who was vectored to the vicinity of the accident about ten minutes after the occurrence, instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the accident site. No ELT signal was reported, and no ELT was found at the accident site. According to N-TAP radar data, the aircraft was maintaining a constant heading and 5600 feet altitude from 1811:03 until 1815:41, with no heading or altitude changes observed before impacting with the 5867 foot peak. An altimeter found at the site read 5520 feet. The pilot was in contact with Air Traffic Control throughout his flight. Extracts of the transcript follow. The complete transcript is attached. After departure from Spokane, the pilot established communications with the East Radar Controller at Spokane Approach Control, checking in at 1809:15. At 1809:30, the controller confirmed radar contact and asked the pilot to verify his level- off altitude. The pilot stated "...five thousand five hundred." At 1810:34, the controller stated "...we show an IFR flight plan filed off Spokane going to Yakima. Do you still wa
Probable cause
the pilot's failure to maintain terrain clearance in mountainous terrain. Factors contributing to the accident were: dark night conditions, mountainous terrain, and instrument meteorological conditions.
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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.
