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operated in instrument flight conditions. It appears obvious to the Board that if in fact the aircraft had been in VFR conditions, the crew could have taken acting to avoid collision with the mountain.
2.2Conclutions
(a)Findings:
1.The aircraft was currently certificated and airworthy.
2.The crew was properly certificated and qualified.
3.The crew had an adequate rest period prior to commencing this flight and on departure appeared normal in all respects.
4.Post-mortem examinations revealed no evident of any human factor condition that would affect the flight ability of any crewmember.
5.The preflight planning and dispatching were proper.
6.The gross weight and center of gravity were within allowable limits.
7.The flight was normal and routine up to and including takeoff from Boeing field.
8.At no time did the flight report any en route difficulties.
9.The flight was being operated on a VFR flight plan.
10.There was no evidence that the crew was concerned over the safety of their position, or course, or that they initiated any evasive action prior to impact.
11.Based on the fact that the flight's last transmission was at 1423:03 and that it failed to respond to the Seattle ARTCC transmission at 1423:18, it was established that the accident occurred during this period.
12.The accident occurred at an elevation of 10,200 feet on the west slop of Mt. Rainier, 40.2 nautical miles southeast of the Seattle VORTAC on the 125-degree radial.
13.The aircraft's last reported position was accurate in lateral distance from the Seattle VORTAC, and the elevation of the point of impact, 10,200 feet, substantially that as reported en route (10,300) by the crew.
14.The Seattle VORTAC facilities were flight checked subsequent to the accident and found to be satisfactory.
15.The flight departed from its flight-planned route as the result of the crew's mistaken belief that the radial of V-4 Airway (102 degrees) was 125 degrees or they intentionally departed the airway upon encountering instrument flight conditions and were unaware of the specific location of Mt. Rainier relative to the flightpath of the aircraft.
16.The investigation most substantively supports the finding that the crew of Logair 6541C continued on a VFR flight plan into instrument weather conditions which resulted in the aircraft's colliding with a mountain.
17.The aircraft was destroyed.
18.There was no fire.
19.McChord AFB weather briefing for the flight from McChord AFB to Boeing Field to Hill AFB was considered adequate in view of the weather information available to the briefer. However, the Weather Bureau area forecast, which included the Mt. Rainier area and which was utilized in the briefing, was accurate in that the weather conditions encountered shortly after takeoff from Boeing Field had not been forecast to occur until after dark.
