Ilwaco Landing Strip Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Ilwaco, Washington 98624
Saturday, April 26, 1997 12:30 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The student pilot departed on a solo cross-country flight during which deteriorating weather was forecast along the route. After the first leg of the flight, the pilot rested and did some additional flight planning, and then departed on the return leg. After departing an intermediate stop on the return leg of the flight, the pilot encountered rain, low clouds and high winds. He then elected to return to the airport where he had made the intermediate stop, but upon returning to that area, he found that he was unable to see the airport through the rain and clouds. While trying to fly to another airport, he happened to overfly a 2,000 foot runway, and elected to attempt a landing there. While on final approach to land, the rain, clouds, and crosswinds were significant enough that the pilot was having a hard time seeing the runway. He ultimately touched down past the mid-point of the runway, and the aircraft skidded off the end before he was able to get it stopped. When it departed the runway, the nose gear encountered soft terrain and was torn from the aircraft. It was later determined that the student's instructor did not monitor the preflight weather briefing and that the student did not get an updated weather briefing after his initial departure.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The student pilot's failure to land the aircraft at the proper touchdown point. Factors include inadequate preflight planning/preparation by the student pilot, inadequate supervision by the student pilot's flight instructor, rain, fog, strong crosswinds, a wet runway, and soft terrain off the end of the runway,

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 4/26/1997
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1230
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City ILWACO
Event State WASHINGTON
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 98624
Event Date Year 1997
Event Date Month 4
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport ILWACO LANDING STRIP
Event Location Nearest Airport ID WA27
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation 8
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Pilot
Time of the weather observation 0
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 500
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 0.5
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 10
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 10
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 200
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 15
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 20
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Heavy
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 1
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1011
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Apr 26 1997 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1350
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 8 2000 12:14PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N152TM
NTSB Number SEA97LA092
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed VFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Cessna
Aircraft Model 152
Aircraft Series Identifier 152
Aircraft Serial Number 15279838
Certified Max Gross Weight 1670
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 2
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Apr 17 1997 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 16
Airframe Hours 7113
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name MORCOM AVIATION SERVICES, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 10217 31ST AVE #C51
Aircraft Owner City EVERETT
Aircraft Owner State WA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 98204
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Instructional
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code HIO
Departure City HILLSBORO
Departure State OR
Departure Country
Departure Time 1105
Departure Time Zone PDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code PAE
Destination City EVERETT
Destination State WA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:34AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 28
Runway Length 2000
Runway Width 50
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --