Twenty-five years ago, a Seattle-area pilot tried to do his mother a favor. He would take her to visit a friend on the other side of the Cascades. Their route would go through the Snoqualmie Pass, which, on the day of the trip, was unfortunately beset by fog and low-lying clouds. The pilot was instrument-rated, but the rented Cessna 152 he was flying was not instrument-equipped. He followed Interstate 90. At a certain point, fog blocked the way, and the pilot decided to turn back. In the turn, he inadvertently flew into cloud, clipped a tree and crashed. Mother and son died together.
Aftermath: Mountain, Cloud, Highway
Key Takeaways:
- The article compares the recent Kobe Bryant helicopter crash to a 25-year-old Cessna accident, noting similarities in pilots attempting Visual Flight Rules (VFR) flight into challenging Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC).
- Both incidents illustrate the extreme dangers of pilots losing visual references in fog or clouds, leading to spatial disorientation and loss of control, even for instrument-rated pilots.
- The Cessna pilot crashed while attempting a turn-back in fog, and preliminary findings for the Bryant crash suggest an unintended left turn and rapid descent, strongly implying spatial disorientation despite the pilot's experience.
- The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigates such accidents, often attributing the cause to "the pilot's attempt to continue VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions, and his failure to maintain clearance with the terrain."
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