Incident Overview
At approximately 1620 local time on April 24, 1982, an aircraft departed Burley, Idaho, and proceeded under a Visual Flight Rules (VFR) flight plan destined for Tacoma, Washington. As the aircraft approached the Seattle terminal area, it was descending from an altitude of 10,500 feet. The aircraft subsequently crashed in mountainous terrain at an elevation of 3,500 feet mean sea level (MSL).
Weather Conditions
Weather reports for the Seattle area at the time indicated broken clouds at 3,500 feet, visibility of 15 miles, temperature 47°F, dew point 32°F, and wind from 020 degrees at 5 knots. The overcast ceiling east of Seattle was obscured by an overcast layer beginning at 3,500 feet, with the top of the ceiling estimated at 7,200 feet. Mountains in the region were obscured by this cloud layer.
Witness Report
An American Airlines captain reported observing the aircraft in a controlled descent entering a cloud layer prior to the accident.
Investigation
The investigation focused on the circumstances of the flight and the environmental conditions at the time. No determination of probable cause has been stated in the available source material.