Cessna 182

Metaline, WA — November 11, 2019

Event Information

DateNovember 11, 2019
Event TypeACC
NTSB NumberWPR20LA028
Event ID20191116X51416
LocationMetaline, WA
CountryUSA
Coordinates48.80722, -117.29195
Highest InjuryFATL

Aircraft

MakeCessna
Model182
CategoryAIR
FAR Part091
Aircraft DamageDEST

Conditions

Light ConditionDAYL
WeatherVMC

Injuries

Fatal1
Serious0
Minor0
None0
Total Injured1

Event Location

Probable Cause

Impact with a lake for reasons that could not be determined.

Full Narrative

On November 11, 2019, at 1126 Pacific standard time, a Cessna 182, N8749T, was reported overdue/missing near Metaline Falls, Washington. The pilot was fatally injured; the wreckage has not been located. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) alert notice (ALNOT) information, the airplane departed on a visual flight rules (VFR) local flight from Colville Municipal Airport (63S), Colville, Washington. The ALNOT was issued at 1905 on November 11 when the pilot did not return as planned.
Local authorities discovered the pilot’s body on the morning of November 16, 2019, near the shore of Sullivan Lake, about 28 nautical miles northeast of 63S. There were no witnesses to the accident, and the wreckage was not recovered.
There was no radar information that could be definitively correlated with the accident airplane. Review of weather information for the day of the accident was consistent with VFR conditions in the area of the accident site, and model sounding data suggested no low clouds or restrictions to visibility.
An autopsy of the pilot was performed by the Spokane County, Washington, Office of the Medical Examiner. The cause of death was attributed to presumed hypothermia and drowning.
Toxicology testing of specimens from the pilot at the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory was negative for carbon monoxide and ethanol. Glucose was detected in vitreous and urine, and rosuvastatin was detected in blood and urine.

About This NTSB Record

This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.

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