Piper PA-23-250 CFCTC

Summary

On 20 May 1985 at about 20:05 local time, a Piper PA-23-250 registered CFCTC, operated by Loren Gowing, was involved in an accident near Blyn, Washington, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

20 May 1985 at 20:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Blyn, Washington, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-23-250

Registration

CFCTC

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Loren Gowing

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Nanaimo, B.c. → Portland

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

Unk

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA85FA121

4 people died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE ACFT IMPACTED RISING TERRAIN AT THE 1860 FT LEVEL DURING AN IFR FLT IN IMC CONDITIONS. THE ACFT WAS REPORTEDLY TO FLY 'VFR ON TOP' OR IFR AT 3000 PLUS FT ENROUTE TO PORTLAND.THE PLT WAS OFF COURSE FOR DESTINATION WHEN IT IMPACTED MT. BLYN. THE ACFT TRIM WAS FOUND SET FOR 'NOSE LEFT' AT THE ACCIDENT SITE BUT THE AREA WAS NOT SECURED BEFORE BEING VANDALIZED (PARTS MISSING & SUSPECTED OF BEING STOLEN) AND THE WRECKAGE HAD BEEN SUBJECTED TO 24 HOURS OF FIRE AND SOME POST IMPACT EXPLOSIONS AS EVIDENCED BY THE MOLTEN METAL BLASTED AGAINST THE SIDES OF NEARBY TREES. THE ACFT IMPACTED TREES AND THE GROUND ON AN UPSLOPE WHICH WAS OBSCURED BY CLOUDS ACCORDING TO RESIDENTS WHO HEARD THE ACFT AND THE SUBSEQUENT EXPLOSION. THE INVESTIGATION WAS DELAYED FROM MAY UNTIL OCTOBER BY STATE RESTRICTIONS DUE TO DANGER OF FORESTFIRES.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.