Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Tacoma Narrows Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Gig Harbor, Washington 98335
Tuesady, March 2, 2004 20:13 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot reported that he was practicing night instrument landing system in visual conditions when during the third practice approach, the aircraft collided with an object. The pilot broke off the approach and returned to his base airport where it was determined that the left wing came in contact with a tree. Air traffic communications and radar data indicated that the aircraft was established on the localizer during the three approaches, however, was below the minimum descent altitude of 2,000 feet on the first approach by 500 feet and 900 feet on the second approach when crossing the final approach fix (FAF). The FAF is identified via a radial from a VOR. During the third approach, radar data indicated that the aircraft was tracking on the localizer, but continued to descend to 500 feet about 1.7 nautical miles prior to the FAF. The radar data indicated a climb shortly after this point. Testing of the airport approach equipment revealed normal equipment operation. Testing of the aircraft's #1 ILS system found the glide slope to have extremely low sensitivity. The glide slope receiver also could not pick up a signal. The localizer was within tolerance, but off by a dot and a half. The safety pilot reported that he never saw the airport during the third approach and thought that everything was ok.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to follow the published IFR procedure resulting in failure to maintain clearance from objects during an instrument approach. Trees and an inoperative glide slope receiver were factors.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/2/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 2013 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | Gig Harbor |
| Event State | WASHINGTON |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 98335 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | -- |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | -- |
| Event Location Latitude | 471608N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1223400W |
| Event Location Airport | Tacoma Narrows |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | TIW |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 8 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 350 |
| Airport Elevation | 292 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1953 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 170 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | TIW |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 292 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 7 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 7000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 6 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 2 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 240 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.18 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 16195 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Regional Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 3 2004 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 730 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 1 2004 7:08AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Seattle, Washington |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N75844 |
| NTSB Number | SEA04LA048 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 172N |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 17267998 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2300 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 5 2003 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 53 |
| Airframe Hours | 3170 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Steven C. Townsend |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Port Orchard |
| Aircraft Owner State | WA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 98366 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| 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? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | PWT |
| Departure City | Bremerton |
| Departure State | WA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1900 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach - final approach fix (FAF)/outer marker to threshold (IFR) |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 25 2004 5:35PM |
| User who most recently changed record | STAM |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 17 |
| Runway Length | 5002 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |