Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Private Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Friday Harbor, Washington 98250
Friday, August 31, 2012 16:30 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot was landing to the south at a private airstrip. The owner of the airstrip observed the airplane on short final when it struck transmission wires that ran perpendicular to and north of the airstrip. The airplane nosed over and impacted terrain. Postimpact examination of the airplane revealed wire strike marks on the left main landing gear and the keel of the fuselage. No preimpact mechanical discrepancies were found with the airplane’s airframe or engine that would have prevented normal operation. The airstrip owner stated that he was unaware of the pilot’s impending visit. He said that he tells all visiting pilots to land to the north so as to land uphill and avoid the transmission wires. The airstrip owner also reported that he talked to a pilot who spoke to the accident pilot before he departed on the accident flight and who informed him of the presence of wires at the north end of the airstrip.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot’s inadequate glidepath and failure to maintain clearance from the transmission wire during a landing approach.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/31/2012 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1630 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Friday Harbor |
| Event State | WASHINGTON |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 98250 |
| Event Date Year | 2012 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 483130N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1230444W |
| Event Location Airport | Private |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | None |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 125 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1553 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 90 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | FHR |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 97 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 2 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 19 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 8 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 200 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.96 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 32597 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 6 2014 10:24PM |
| User who most recently changed record | strj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N346PE |
| NTSB Number | WPR12FA385 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Unknown |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | EASTON |
| Aircraft Model | SEAREY |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1DK425C |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1370 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| 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 | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Conditional |
| Date of Last Inspection | Feb 29 2012 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 258 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Richard D. Bach |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Eastsound |
| Aircraft Owner State | WA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 98245 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Richard D. Bach |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Eastsound |
| Operator State | WA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 98245 |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | ORS |
| Departure City | Eastsound |
| Departure State | WA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1545 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | None |
| Destination City | Friday Harbor |
| Destination State | WA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 6 2014 10:25PM |
| User who most recently changed record | strj |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 20 |
| Runway Length | 1200 |
| Runway Width | 25 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |