On July 23, 2012, an experimental amateur-built Jeffko Glasair, N743CA, did not arrive at its planned destination of Sequim Valley Airport, Sequim, Washington. The pilot/owner was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The certified flight instructor was presumed to have sustained fatal injuries, with unknown damage to the airplane. The cross-country flight departed Tonasket Municipal Airport, Tonasket, Washington, about 0830. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the departure airport, and no flight plan had been filed.
On July 23, at 1520, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an alert notice (ALNOT) for the missing airplane after family members reported that it had not arrived at its planned destination. A search and rescue mission was subsequently initiated by the Washington State Department of Transportation.
The owner of the airplane had recently purchased a TSO-C126 (406 MHz) Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT), however, it could not be determined if the unit had been installed at the time of the accident. No ELT signal was received during the search and rescue activities; additionally, attempts to locate a signal from the pilot's cell phone utilizing network-based location analysis were unsuccessful.
The presumed route of flight would have taken the airplane over the Cascade Mountain Range, which according to the Seattle Sectional Aeronautical Chart, had an obstacle clearance (Maximum Elevation Figure - MEF) in the area of 10,500 feet msl. The closest FAA radar sensors were located in Seattle and Spokane, Washington, about 150 and 120 miles respectively, from the departure airport. Examination of radar data did not reveal any targets pertinent to the accident flight.
The search and rescue mission was terminated at 1700 on July 29, after 100 sorties had been completed in the Cascade Mountain area utilizing fixed wing and rotorcraft assets.
FAA records indicated that the airplane was built by the pilot, and issued its airworthiness certificate in October 2008; no maintenance records were recovered.
The 72-year-old-pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, single-engine sea, and instrument airplane. He additionally held a certified flight instructor (CFI) certificate with single-engine land ratings, issued in 1970. His third-class medical certificate was issued on October 27, 2011, with the limitation that he must wear corrective lenses for near and distant vision. On his medical certificate application he reported a total flight experience 1,200 hours, with 40 hours in the prior 6 months.
According to a representative from Lockheed Martin Flight Service, the pilot did not request any weather services. Additionally, there was no record of him obtaining a weather briefing from any of the Direct User Access Terminal (DUAT) providers.
An automated surface weather observation at Omak Airport (KOMK), Omak, Washington, (elevation 1,305 feet, 16 miles south of the departure airport) was issued 23 minutes after the presumed departure time. It recorded calm wind, 10 miles visibility, with an overcast ceiling at 9,500 feet, temperature at 17 degrees C, dew point 09 degrees C, and an altimeter setting at 30.06 inches of mercury.
At 0956, a surface weather observation was issued by Whidbey Island Naval Air Station, Oak Harbor, Washington (KNUW), (elevation 47 feet, 129 miles west of the departure airport). It indicated wind from 160 degrees at 10 knots, 9 miles visibility, with few clouds at 1,200 feet, broken 2,600 feet and overcast 3,400 feet; temperature at 13 degrees C, dew point 20 degrees C, and an altimeter setting at 30.20 inches of mercury.
An AIRMET for mountain obscuration was current for the area between the time of departure and approximate landing. See the public docket for a full weather report.