On December 26, 1998, a Cessna 177 (registration N2355Y) was involved in an aviation accident near Bellingham, WA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Inadequate preflight planning/preparation, and the pilot's failure to maintain altitude. VFR flight into IMC conditions and cloudy weather conditions were factors. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pilot reported encountering instrument meteorological conditions at 500 feet AGL shortly after takeoff. During a turn back to the airport, the aircraft struck tree tops but landed safely.
Incident Overview
A pilot stated that shortly after takeoff, while climbing, the aircraft entered instrument meteorological conditions at 500 feet above ground level. In response, the pilot initiated a turn to return to the departure airport.
Sequence of Events
During the turn, the aircraft lost a considerable amount of altitude and subsequently collided with the tops of multiple trees. Despite the impact, the pilot was able to continue flying and successfully land the aircraft at the airport without further incident.
Weather and Planning
The pilot reported that no formal weather briefing was obtained from a flight service station. Instead, the decision to take off was based solely on information from the automated surface observation system (ASOS) at the airport.