Cessna 177 accident near Bellingham, Washington, December 26, 1998
On December 26, 1998 at about 2:45 am local time, a Cessna 177, registered N2355Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bellingham, Washington (Bellingham International airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Inadequate preflight planning/preparation, and the pilot's failure to maintain altitude. VFR flight into IMC conditions and cloudy weather conditions were factors.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 26, 1998 · about 2:45 am local time
- Place
- Bellingham, Washington · Bellingham International
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177 · all 177s on the register
- Registration
- N2355Y · registry record · serial 17700155
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that shortly after takeoff, during the ascent, he encountered instrument meteorological conditions at 500 feet AGL, and initiated a turn back to the airport. During the turn, the aircraft lost a considerable amount of altitude and collided with multiple tree tops. The pilot was able to continue to the airport and land without further incident. The pilot stated he did not receive a formal weather briefing from a flight service station and relied solely on the automated surface observation system report at the airport.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,053 hours in all; 934 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 1,007 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,798 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 6, 1998; 35 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BLI Bellingham WA at 2:35 am
- Destination: ORS Eastsound WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 6,751 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 329° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,400 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 am from BLI, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.