Cessna 340A accident near Morton, WA
On October 25, 2010, a Cessna 340A (airplane) was involved in an accident near Morton, WA. 3 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- October 25, 2010
- Place
- Morton, WA
- Aircraft
- Cessna 340A · Airplane
- Injuries
- 3 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 46.606°N, 122.101°W
- NTSB ID
- 20101025X62111
Official records · WPR11FA029
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
On October 25, 2010, about 0745 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 340A, N68718, experienced an in-flight loss of control followed by an uncontrolled descent into mountainous terrain about 9 nautical miles (nm) northeast of Morton, Washington. The airplane was substantially damaged. The airline transport certified pilot and two passengers sustained fatal injuries during the business flight. The airplane was owned and operated by Pacific Cataract and Laser Institute (PCLI), Chehalis, Washington. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed for the cross-country flight, which was conducted in accordance with 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed. The flight, which originated from the Chehalis-Centralia Airport (CLS), Chehalis, Washington about 0725, was destined for the Lewiston-Nez Perce County Airport (LWS), Lewiston, Idaho. The operator's chief pilot reported to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) that the PCLI flight was performed for the purpose of transporting two company employees to one of their business offices. Prior to the flight the chief pilot had received no information indicating any anomalies in the operation of the accident airplane’s systems, including engine assemblies and attitude reference instruments. The accident pilot received an instrument flight rules (IFR) clearance as filed with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). FAA recorded radar track data and communications between the Seattle Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) and the accide
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to arrest the excessive rate of turn into the failed engine, which resulted in a loss of control and subsequent impact with terrain. Contributing to the accident was a partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
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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.
