Cessna 208B accident near Lummi Island, WA
On October 9, 2000, a Cessna 208B (airplane) was involved in an accident near Lummi Island, WA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- October 9, 2000
- Place
- Lummi Island, WA
- Aircraft
- Cessna 208B · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 48.690°N, 122.659°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001212X22249
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On October 9, 2000, approximately 0951 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 208B, N941FE, operating as Empire Airlines flight 665 on a 14 CFR 135 non-scheduled domestic air cargo flight, crashed in wooded terrain near the northwest end of Lummi Island, Washington. The aircraft, which was owned by Federal Express Corporation (FedEx) and carrying FedEx cargo at the time, was substantially damaged, and the airline transport pilot-in-command (who held commercial privileges for single-engine land airplanes), the airplane's sole occupant, was fatally injured. The flight had departed Bellingham, Washington, on a special visual flight rules (Special VFR) air traffic control (ATC) clearance approximately 8 minutes prior to the accident, bound for Orcas Island Airport, Eastsound, Washington. Instrument meteorological conditions (ceiling 500 feet broken, 2 miles visibility in mist) were reported at Bellingham (approximately 8 nautical miles northeast of the crash site) at 0942 and 0953, and the FAA reported no record of a flight plan being filed for the flight. Personnel from the Bellingham FedEx station stated that the flight's target departure time was about 0930. The flight's loading manifest indicated that 1,110 pounds of cargo were aboard for the accident flight, with no dangerous goods. The operator reported that the pilot obtained weather information at the Bellingham FedEx station prior to departure, and that the flight took off with about 1,000 pounds of Jet A fuel on board. Empire Airlines' chief pilot stated to the NTSB investigator-in-charge (IIC) that the Bel
Probable cause
The pilot's attempted flight into known adverse weather conditions, and his subsequent failure to maintain altitude above, or clearance with, trees. Factors contributing to the accident included low ceilings, fog, the pilot's low-altitude flight, rising terrain, and trees.
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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.
