Cessna 401A accident near Spokane, Washington, January 9, 1996
On January 9, 1996 at about 3:07 am local time, a Cessna 401A, registered N117AC, was destroyed in an accident near Spokane, Washington (Spokane Int'L airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 3 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the pilot to follow proper IFR procedures, by failing to maintain proper alignment with the localizer course during the ILS approach and/or by failing to follow the proper missed approach procedure. Factors relating to the accident were: darkness; adverse weather conditions; and pressure on the pilot to complete the EMS flight, due to the circumstances and conditions that prevailed.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 9, 1996 · about 3:07 am local time
- Place
- Spokane, Washington · Spokane Int'L · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 401A · all 401As on the register
- Registration
- N117AC · registry record · serial 401A0040
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot (plt) received abbreviated weather (wx) briefing for emergency medical service (EMS)/air ambulance flight (flt). Before flt, he expressed anxiety about possible low visibility for landing & timely transport of dying patient. During ILS runway 3 approach (rwy 3 apch), aircraft (acft) remained well above the glide slope until close to the middle marker; acft's speed decreased from 153 to 100 kts, while vertical speed increased from 711'/min to about 1,250'/min descent. About 1 mi from rwy & 500' agl (in fog), acft abruptly turned left of localizer course & gradually descended with no distress call from plt. Acft hit a pole, then flew into a building & burned. Low ceiling, fog & dark night conditions prevailed. Plt (recent ex-military helicopter plt) had logged/reported 3500 hrs of flt time & about 150 hrs in multiengine airplanes, but there was evidence he lacked experience with actual instrument apchs in fixed-wing acft; he had difficulty with instrument flying during recent training & FAA check flts. No preimpact mechanical problem was found with acft/engines. No ILS anomalies were found. Flt nurse was using cellular phone, but no evidence was found of interference with acft's navigational system. Visibility & ceiling at destination were less than forecast at time of plt's preflt wx briefing. Paramedic was only survivor.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,500 hours in all; 70 in this make and model; 3,120 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,800 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 4, 1995
- Maximum gross weight: 6,300 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-E (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: PSC Pasco WA at 2:29 am
- Destination: GEG
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 3, 9,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 050° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 0.2 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 100 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 93°F (34°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:05 am from GEG, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | 1 | ||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number SEA96FA040.