Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Eastsound, Washington 98245
Sunday, December 20, 1987 13:55 PST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PLT DEPD SOUTH FROM AN UNATTENDED ISLAND ARPT AT SEA LEVEL & FLEW INTO MARGINAL VFR CONDS WITH MODERATE SNOWFALL. ACQUAINTANCES AT THE ARPT RPRTD THE PLT EXPRESSED AN URGENT NEED TO RETURN TO SNOHOMISH, WA, DESPITE THE WX CONDS. WHEN THE ACFT DID NOT ARRIVE, A SEARCH WAS INITIATED. A USCG HELICOPTER CREW LOCATED THE WRECKAGE BY HOMING ON A WEAK ELT SIGNAL THE NEXT DAY. THE ACFT HAD HIT TREES ON A KNOLL IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN ABOUT 4 MI SSW OF THE DEP ARPT. IMPACTOCCURRED ON A NORTHERLY HEADING AT AN ELEV OF ABOUT 1400' MSL. THE FLAP HANDLE WAS FND IN THE 2ND NOTCH. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS EVIDENT. THE PLT WAS NOT INSTRUMENT RATED. AN AIRLINE EMPLOYEE, WORKING OUTDOORS SOUTH OF THE ARPT, OBSERVED THE ACFT DRG THE INITIAL CLIMB. HE RPRTD THE ACFT APPEARED TO BE OPERATING NORMALLY & ESTIMATED THE CEILING IN THAT AREA WAS ABOUT 1000' AGL WITH 3 MI VIS & MODERATE SNOWFALL. THE ARPT ELEV WAS 25'. ABOUT 18 MI WEST,THE WX WAS IN PART: 400' PARTIAL OBSCURATION, 1300' BROKEN, VIS 2.5 MI WITH SNOW, WIND 270 DEG AT 4 KTS.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 12/20/1987
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1355
Event Time Zone Pacific Standard Time
Event City EASTSOUND
Event State WASHINGTON
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 98245
Event Date Year 1987
Event Date Month 12
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 0
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1400 Pacific Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 260
Weather Observation Facility ID YYJ
Elevation of weather observation facility 10
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 18
Time Zone of the weather observation PST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 2
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 2
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 0
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 270
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 4
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Moderate
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1692
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Dec 21 1987 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 530
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 35033
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 3:04PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N4306J
NTSB Number SEA88FA032
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-28-140
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-28-140
Aircraft Serial Number 28-22678
Certified Max Gross Weight 1950
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 Sep 18 1987 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Yes
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name FRED E. DICKIE
Aircraft Owner Street Address 2605 19TH ST.
Aircraft Owner City EVERETT
Aircraft Owner State WA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 98201
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) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1345
Departure Time Zone PST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code S43
Destination City SNOHOMISH
Destination State WA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Maneuvering
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:36AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length 0
Runway Width 0
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --