A Piper Pacer (Tri-Pacer?) went down in the Cascades on Saturday.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/l ... ash11.html

They were en route from Deer Park, WA to the Arlington, WA EAA fly-in.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source= ... 6&t=h&z=10

Not sure if the geographical reports of the crash site are correct, but if so it looks as if they were flying direct between two highways. Weather was almost ideal that day. Not sure what the winds were like in the area but in the Puget Sound it was almost completely calm.

Condolences go out to the family.

TD

I flew about 15 miles south of that spot saturday morning at about 8:00 local time. The visibility was over 100 miles with no clouds, and wind was out of the west at about 5-10 MPH and no turbulance. I was at around 9,500 msl, enroute from kennewick to Arlington for the flyin as well.

They took off from Elk Heights airstrip north of Spokane sometime Friday. We drove over Stevens Pass to Arlington that morning. At the summit (4061 feet) it was 39 degrees and raining hard. All the way over we couldn't see most mountain tops due to rain and fog. At Monroe we drove through a shower so hard we could hardly see to drive.

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2011/j ... ane-crash/

OK, now I'm confused. Did they crash Friday during a bad rain storm, or Saturday in great weather?
The news article is dated Sunday and said they crashed yesterday (Saturday), Northwest cable news also reported that they crashed on saturday, you say they took off sometime Friday. One day would be a lot of difference in the weather and the press could very easily have got the date wrong if they were reported missing or were found on saturday. Don't get me wrong, I am NOT questioning you when you said they took off sometine Friday.

http://community.seattletimes.nwsource. ... 015561647&

The story is not too clear on if the friends reported on Sat am after an expected Friday arrival or reported Sat. AM after an expected Sat. arrival.

Could well have left on Fri and no one reported them missing until Sat. AM.

You are right weather on Friday sucked and Saturday was brilliant.

TD

IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 8721C Make/Model: PA22 Description: PA-22 Tri-Pacer, Caribbean, Colt
Date: 07/09/2011 Time: 2205

Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Fatal Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Unknown

LOCATION
City: ARLINGTON State: WA Country: US

DESCRIPTION
AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, THE 2 PERSONS ON BOARD WERE
FATALLY INJURED, 21 MILES FROM ARLINGTON, WA

INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 2
# Crew: 1 Fat: 1 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Pass: 1 Fat: 1 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:

WEATHER: NOT REPORTED

OTHER DATA
Activity: Pleasure Phase: Unknown Operation: OTHER


FAA FSDO: SEATTLE, WA (NM01) Entry date: 07/11/2011

The newspaper articles are a little confusing on the time line.

From the Spokane paper:

The single-engine Piper PA 22 reportedly left an airstrip at Elk Heights in Spokane County on Friday and never made it to the occupants’ planned destination in Arlington.

The Seattle Times:

Tom Peterson, aviation-emergency coordinator for the Washington State Department of Transportation, said the search began after a friend reported Saturday morning the pair were overdue at the fly-in.

This one seems to clear it up:

FAA spokesman Mike Fergus says the wreckage of the Piper PA 22 was found Saturday. He says the plane had been reported missing Friday.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/l ... crash.html

More proof that if weather is a factor in an accident, the searchers always find the wreckage on a day when there is not a cloud in the sky. I live in Granite Falls and it was severe clear on Saturday.

Sad for the rest of the family.