20030118001919A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Piper PA-28-181 · Orcusisland, WA · January 18, 2003

Date: January 18, 2003 · 20:00 local
Place: Orcusisland, WA
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N7282C
NTSB investigation: NTSBSEA03FA028
Reported as: Piper PA28181
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1

N7282CRegistration cancelled Apr 11, 2008 · Piper PA-28-181S/N 28-7690065 · Built 1975 Airframe modelPiper PA-28-181 Engine modelLycoming O&VO-360 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) The Piper PA-28-181, N7282C was flown fro squim, WA towards orcus island, WA. The pilot reported the airport and town of eastsound were covered by low-level fog. He overflew the airport and went to an area beyond the fog. He then attempted to find the airport flying under by flying under the fog and impacted the water. The pilot momentarily got the aircraft back into the air, but due to darkness and a sheet of salt spray he was unable to maintain recovery altitude. The private pilot and two of his passengers sustained serious injuries and one other passenger sustained fatal injuries.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PIPER PA-28-181, N7282C WAS FLOWN FRO SQUIM, WA TOWARDS ORCUS ISLAND, WA. THE PILOT REPORTED THE AIRPORT AND TOWN OF EASTSOUND WERE COVERED BY LOW-LEVEL FOG. HE OVERFLEW THE AIRPORT AND WENT TO AN AREA BEYOND THE FOG. HE THEN ATTEMPTED TO FIND THE AIRPORT FLYING UNDER BY FLYING UNDER THE FOG AND IMPACTED THE WATER. THE PILOT MOMENTARILY GOT THE AIRCRAFT BACK INTO THE AIR, BUT DUE TO DARKNESS AND A SHEET OF SALT SPRAY HE WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN RECOVERY ALTITUDE. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND TWO OF HIS PASSENGERS SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES AND ONE OTHER PASSENGER SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB SEA03FA028Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportEastsound, WAThe pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the water and his failure to reset the altimeter to the local barometric pressure. Contributing factors were fog and night conditions.Jan 19, 2003 · Destroyed