Date & Time:
Jun 1, 1995 at 1554 LT
Type of aircraft:
Rockwell Grand Commander 680
Operator:
Frank Casella
Registration:
N6877S
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Private
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
North Bend - North Bend
MSN:
680-462-132
YOM:
1958
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
1
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
2
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
3
Aircraft flight hours:
4785
Circumstances:
Approximately two minutes after takeoff, witnesses saw the airplane pull up sharply into a steep climb from underneath an 800-foot ceiling. The airplane went into an uncontrolled, nearly vertical dive and impacted into a river. The pilot did not hold multi-engine or instrument ratings. Individuals who knew the pilot, including an instructor who had flown with him, stated that they had doubted the pilot's competence but that the pilot had been confident of his own flying ability.
Probable cause:
The pilot initiating flight into weather conditions beyond what he was capable of handling. The pilot's overconfidence in his personal ability and the low ceiling were factors in the accident.
Final Report:
N6877S.pdf118.79 KB
