- Date
- April 21, 2001, 16:43 local (23:43 UTC)
- Place
- Sultan, WA
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N8402ECessna 172 N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 27, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Textron Lycoming, Cessna Aircraft Company
- FAA report
- 20010421006839A
- Case key
- 52133
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from trees and terrain during the airplane's initial climb.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
Shortly after departure, during the initial climb out, the airplane collided with trees and terrain approximately 1,000 feet beyond the departure end of the turf runway. A witness to the accident (a certified pilot) reported that the airplane appeared to stall just before colliding with trees. The pilot stated that he noted a decreasing airspeed just before colliding with tree tops. Post-accident examination of the airplane by personal from the NTSB, Cessna Aircraft and Textron Lycoming revealed no evidence of a mechanical malfunction or failure.
Factual narrative
On April 21, 2000, at 1643 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172N airplane, N8402E, sustained substantial damage after colliding with trees and terrain shortly after takeoff from a turf airstrip near Sultan, Washington. The airplane is owned by the pilot, and was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal/pleasure flight under the provisions of Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The private pilot and the one passenger aboard the airplane sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local flight.
In a telephone interview on April 23, 2001, the pilot reported that shortly after takeoff the airplane "settled" into the treetops. The airplane impacted trees and terrain approximately 1,000 feet beyond the departure end of the runway.
A witness to the accident (a certified pilot) reported that shortly after departure, the airplane appeared to stall just before colliding with trees.
Post-accident examination of the airplane by personal from the NTSB, Cessna Aircraft and Textron Lycoming revealed no evidence of a mechanical malfunction or failure.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8402E
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17272194
- Airframe hours
- 6,211
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Todd A. Curtis
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 26, 2000 · 14 hours before
- Departed
- WA64 · Sultan, WA
- Destination
- WA64
- Airport
- S86 · Sky Harbor, runway 07, 1,930 × 100 ft, grass/turf
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 41
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- April 9, 1999
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 396 total · 360 in this make and model · 363 as pilot in command · 32 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- PAE, 20 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.