| Crash location | 47.598055°N, 123.276111°W
Reported location is a long distance from the NTSB's reported nearest city. This often means that the location has a typo, or is incorrect. |
| Nearest city | Port Angeles, WA
48.118146°N, 123.430741°W 36.6 miles away |
| Tail number | N734QQ |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 02 May 2018 |
| Aircraft type | Cessna 172 |
| Additional details: | None |
The pilot reported that during a cross-country flight over mountainous terrain, he had a tailwind and allowed the airplane to get too close to the terrain.
He initiated a right turn to avoid the rising terrain, but the terrain was "getting close very quickly." The pilot increased bank angle and the nose dropped.
The pilot then applied forward pressure on the yoke, and full throttle had already been applied.
The airplane descended and impacted terrain. Both wings and the fuselage sustained substantial damage.
Per the National Transportation Safety Board Pilot Aviation Accident Report, the pilot reported in the Recommendation section that his decision to delay the turn away from rising terrain was impulsive and the main culprit for this accident.
The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during a turn away from terrain, which resulted in an accelerated stall. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to delay the turn to avoid terrain.