AFTER CROSSING THE DALLES AT 12,500 FT MSL, THE PLT REPORTED TO ARTCC HE WAS ENTERING SOLID CLOUDS. HE SUBSEQUENTLY REPORTED LEVEL AT 3,000 FT MSL FOLLOWED BY 'IF AH WE CAN'T STAY VFR WE'LL GO AHEAD AND CLIMB UP TO ABOUT FIVE AND FILE IFR.' THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED FLYING IN & OUT OF PATCHES OF 'LIGHT FOG' AT ABOUT 450 TO 500 FT AGL NEAR AN INTERSTATE HWY & CLOSE TO MOUNTAINS. A WITNESS REPORTED THE TOP THIRD OF THE MOUNTAINS ADJACENT TO THE GORGE WAS OBSCURED. THE ACFT IMPACTED A STEEP SLOPING RIDGE. ON PREVIOUS PORTIONS OF THE X-COUNTRY FLT, WHICH ORIGINATED IN ALABAMA, THE PLT HAD FLOWN IN IFR CONDITIONS & HAD EXECUTED AN INSTRUMENT APPROACH. HIS LOGBOOK INDICATED THAT HE HAD FLOWN A TOTAL OF 16.6 HOURS OF ACTUAL INSTRUMENT TIME. THE ACFT'S CG WAS ESTIMATED TO BE APRX .6 INCH BEHIND THE AFT LIMIT. TWO OF THE OCCUPANTS WERE SMALL CHILDREN WEIGHING 31 & 37 LBS.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:

Contributing Factors

TERRAIN CONDITION..RISING

Contributing Factors

WEATHER CONDITION..CLOUDS

Contributing Factors

TERRAIN CONDITION..MOUNTAINOUS/HILLY

Contributing Factors

WEATHER CONDITION..LOW CEILING

Contributing Factors

WEATHER CONDITION..FOG

Contributing Factors

LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH GEOGRAPHIC AREA..PILOT IN COMMAND

Contributing Factors

WEATHER CONDITION..OBSCURATION

Index for Mar1984 | Index of months