Pilot Debrief

CESSNA T182T near Queets, WA — 2023-03-07

Final reportWPR23FA143
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Date
2023-03-07
Location
Queets, WA, USA
Aircraft
CESSNA T182T
Registration
N24289
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Fatal
Fatalities
1

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from terrain for undetermined reasons.

NTSB narrative

The pilot and airplane were reported missing by family members. A multi-agency search was conducted; radar data believed to represent the missing airplane showed a westerly track to 10 miles east of Queets, Washington. The airplane wreckage was found 5 weeks later in an area of dense trees one mile north of the last radar target. Shortly after departure, evidence suggests the pilot turned off the airplane’s transponder. The airplane likely encountered instrument meteorological conditions and icing along the route of flight. Although evidence suggests the pilot had been drinking alcohol shortly before the accident, the pattern of the pilot's ethanol results indicates that some or all the detected ethanol likely was from sources other than alcohol consumption. This conclusion is consistent with the severity of the pilot’s injuries, the delayed recovery of his remains, and the presence of other volatiles (n-butanol, isopropanol, and acetone) in some of the tested specimens. However, the results do not exclude the possibility that the pilot may have consumed ethanol and may have been impaired by ethanol effects at the time of the crash. Thus, whether ethanol effects contributed to the crash could not be determined. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Human factors
First missed decision gate
Pilot's decision to fly after consuming alcohol and experiencing stress.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 16 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents16

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