Piper PA-18-150 | N927JS

The DTSB determines the Probable Cause of this accident to be Pilot Error, in that the accident pilot, as the CFI for this trip, elected to continue the aircraft delivery flight, making a takeoff from 0S7 at around 7:55 pm local time into known night and marginal weather conditions, with known significant terrain on the desired track to the intended destination. The flight was conducted as a night VFR flight. The accident pilot did contact Seattle Center and obtained radar contact level at 8,000 feet MSL. Shortly after that, the aircraft impacted dark and featureless rapidly rising terrain at a field elevation of 5,069 feet MSL on a heading of 089 degrees magnetic. The debris field and wreckage path was 225 feet long and was found on the west face of Mount Annie, a named mountain obstruction. The flight had encountered IMC conditions and had descended rapidly into the darkness in hopes of re acquiring visual contact below the clouds. The Probable Cause of this accident is both pilots’ dangerous prioritization on their arrival at the destination that evening,

The DTSB recommends that all pilots of all aircraft rehearse and condition themselves to recognize the obvious danger in night VFR flight in areas of dangerous terrain. The DTSB recommends that all pilots of all single engine piston aircraft avoid night flight wherever possible.