# Accident 20030118001919A: Piper PA28181, Orcusisland, WA, January 18, 2003

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 18, 2003, 20:00 local time
- Place: Orcusisland, WA
- Damage: Destroyed
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 48.7019° N, 122.9458° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=48.7019&lon=-122.9458&mi=10
- Aircraft: N7282C, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N7282C-2008-04-11) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-181 (registry code 7102807, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-181) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA28181
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB SEA03FA028](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA03FA028) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030118001919A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-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.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB SEA03FA028](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA03FA028), Jan 19, 2003: Piper PA-28-181 (N7282C), Eastsound, WA, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The 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.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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