# NTSB SEA02FA171: Cessna 175B, N8195T, Arlington, WA, September 9, 2002 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Field investigation · Final report - Date: September 9, 2002, 13:30 local (20:30 UTC) - Place: Arlington, WA - Coordinates: 48.156665, -122.159164 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=48.1567&lon=-122.1592&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 1 fatal, 2 serious, 1 minor - Status: Completed, report June 2, 2004 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Precision Airmotive Corp., Lycoming Engines, Cessna Aircraft Company, FAA-FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 55682 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=SEA02FA171 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/55682/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=55682 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA02FA171 ## Probable cause A partial loss of engine power for undetermined reasons during the initial climb, followed by the pilot's failure to maintain airspeed while maneuvering. Impairing drugs found in the pilot's system at the time of the accident were a factor. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power(partial) - nonmechanical, takeoff - initial climb - reason for occurrence undetermined (cause) - Loss of control - in flight, maneuvering - impairment(drugs), pilot in command (contributing factor) - airspeed - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - stall - inadvertent, pilot in command - In flight collision with terrain/water, descent - uncontrolled - terrain condition - ground ## Analysis The passengers reported that as the aircraft was climbing out shortly after takeoff, at an altitude of about 200 to 300 feet, the engine lost power. The pilot was heard to say, "oh no, this isn't good." The pilot made a right turn, a maneuver the passenger thought was to return back to the runway. Witnesses reported hearing the engine "popping," or "missing" shortly after takeoff. The aircraft was observed to make a sharp right turn, and that the aircraft then appeared to stall out of the right turn and impacted the ground in a steep right bank and nose down attitude on the west side of the runway. During the post-accident inspection of the airframe and engine, no evidence was found to indicate a mechanical failure or malfunction. The Medical Examiner noted in the pilot's autopsy report that the pilot was wedged in the aircraft for an extended period of time following the accident. The cause of death was indicated to be arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Disseminated prostate cancer and positional asphyxia were contributory factors. Toxicology results identified a prescription narcotic painkiller used for the control of moderate to severe pain; and an over-the-counter antihistamine used for the treatment of allergy symptoms and itching. Both medications can impair motor and cognitive skills. The pilot had been under treatment for pain associated with his cancer at the time of the accident. ## Factual narrative HISTORY OF FLIGHT On September 9, 2002, approximately 1330 Pacific daylight time, a privately owned Cessna 175B airplane, N8195T, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain following a loss of control while maneuvering at low altitude, after engine power was reportedly lost during initial climb after takeoff from the Arlington Municipal Airport, Arlington, Washington. The commercial pilot-in-command, who was the airplane's registered owner, was fatally injured in the crash. Three passengers (reportedly an employee of the Snohomish County, Washington, Surface Water Management Division, an AmeriCorps intern with the Snohomish Conservation District, and the city of Arlington's natural resources manager) were aboard the aircraft at the time of the accident. Two of the passengers (the intern and the city natural resources manager) were seriously injured in the accident, and one passenger (the county employee) received minor injuries. The accident flight was operated by the pilot/aircraft owner, who was a volunteer pilot for LightHawk (a nonprofit environmental advocacy group based in Lander, Wyoming), and was coordinated by LightHawk. The reported purpose of the accident flight was to conduct an aerial survey of local watersheds in relation to salmon recovery issues. Visual meteorological conditions, with winds from 210 degrees true at 7 knots, were reported at Arlington at 1335, and no flight plan had been filed for the local 14 CFR 91 aerial observation flight. At 1232 on the day of the accident, the pilot departed Olympia, Washington, in order to fly to Arlington to pick up the aforementioned passengers. The right rear seated passenger reported that shortly after takeoff she heard the pilot state, "Oh, oh, this doesn't look good," followed by the aircraft making a right turn. She did not recall any further events after this point. The front right seat passenger stated that when the aircraft attained an altitude of about 200 to 300 feet, "the engine simply wound down. I heard no sputtering or backfiring." The passenger heard the pilot say, "Oh no, this isn't good." The passenger noticed no attempt by the pilot to re-start the engine, and thought that the right turn was made to turn back to the airport. During the turn, the aircraft dropped and hit the ground. Witnesses reported to local police that they heard the aircraft's engine "popping" or "missing" shortly after takeoff from runway 16. They reported that at an altitude of approximately 200 to 300 feet above ground level, the aircraft began a sharp right turn, and that the aircraft then appeared to stall out of the right turn and impacted the ground in a steep right bank and nose-down attitude on the west side of runway 11-29. PERSONNEL INFORMATION At the time of the accident, the pilot held a commercial certificate for airplane single and multi-engine land and an instrument rating. The pilot's flight logbook was not located, however, during his last Federal Aviation Administration medical examination for a class three certificate dated December 21, 2000, he reported a total flight time of 1,845 hours, with 200 hours in the preceding six months. At the time of the December 21, 2000, medical examination, the pilot reported that he was not using any medications (prescription or nonprescription), and no serious medical conditions were identified. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION The individual who refueled the aircraft at Pearson Air in Olympia, Washington, reported that between 1200 and 1230 on the day of the accident, he filled the accident aircraft's fuel tanks to the top. According to the aircraft maintenance logbook, the aircraft received its last annual inspection on May 10, 2002, at 3,558.11 hours aircraft total time. Comparison of the recording tachometer hours entered with the log entry for this inspection with the recording tachometer hours noted in the wreckage indicated that the airplane had flown 51.59 hours since the last annual inspection. The accident aircraft, which had a 175-HP Continental GO-300 series engine installed at original manufacture in 1960, had been modified by installation of a 180-HP Lycoming O-360-A1D engine. The engine log indicated that this engine was installed new on the accident aircraft during the 1966-1967 time frame in accordance with Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) number SA3-674. A January 27, 1978, engine log entry indicated that at 856.23 hours engine total time, the aircraft's propeller was exchanged for a newly overhauled one with new blades, and the engine underwent a major overhaul. The engine had accumulated 1,889.65 hours since the major overhaul at the time of the May 10, 2002, annual inspection, and (per the tachometer hours indicated in the aircraft wreckage) 1,941.24 hours since major overhaul at the time of the accident. Textron Lycoming Service Instruction No. 1009AQ gives the manufacturer's recommended time between overhauls (TBO) for this engine as 2,000 hours. According to the aircraft owner's manual, the aircraft's fuel system consists of two 26-gallon fuel tanks (one in each wing), of which 21 gallons in each tank is usable in all flight attitudes. An additional 4.5 gallons in each tank is usable during level flight only, and 1/2 gallon in each tank is unusable. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION The aircraft came to rest inverted on the airport property, just west of the runway 11-29 pavement and approximately abeam the top visual approach slope indicator (VASI) light bar. Local police reported that a fire that broke out in the aircraft after impact was extinguished by individuals who responded to the accident site with hand-held fire extinguishers. The initial ground disturbance, located about 30 feet west of the runway edge, found buried in the soil was the right wing tip green lens cap. The magnetic bearing from this point to the resting point of the main wreckage was 290 degrees. The total distance from the point of initial impact to the main wreckage was 102 feet. Approximately 30 feet into the path, an area of significant ground disturbance was noted followed by lesser degrees of ground disturbances leading up to the main wreckage. The aircraft came to rest inverted with the nose of the aircraft pointing back along the wreckage distribution path. NTSB and FAA investigators responded to the accident scene and performed an on-scene examination on September 9, 2002. During the on-scene examination, the aircraft was righted by towing equipment and the fuel quantity in both tanks was visually checked after the aircraft was righted. During the righting process, fuel was observed leaking out of the left tank with the aircraft in a left-wing-low attitude (note: the two wing tanks are interconnected by a vent line.) Upon righting, a small quantity of blue fuel (approximately 1/2 to 1 inch deep in the bottom of the tank) was observed in the left tank, and no fuel was observed in the right tank. An individual who reported that he turned the aircraft's fuel selector to BOTH OFF at the accident scene at the request of the fire department reported to the NTSB that at the time he shut it off, he noted the fuel selector in the BOTH ON position (a setting that enables fuel feed from both tanks simultaneously). Following the aircraft's removal from the accident scene, investigators from the NTSB, FAA, Cessna Aircraft Company, Lycoming Engines, and Precision Airmotive Corporation (manufacturer of the engine's carburetor) performed a detailed wreckage examination at the Arlington airport on September 10, 2002. The wreckage examination did not reveal any evidence of pre-impact structural or mechanical problems with the airframe, engine, or aircraft systems. The aircraft's airspeed indicator, stall warning switch, and stall warning horn were all found to be functional. The engine, with the propeller attached, was attached to the engine mount, but was bent to the ri ## Aircraft - Registration: [N8195T](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N8195T-2003-07-08), registration cancelled 2003-07-08, S/N 17556895, built 1960 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 175B - Registry model: [Cessna 175B](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-175b) (registry code 2072506) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming O&VO-360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (registry code 41514, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 17556895 - Airframe hours: 3610 - Engines: Lycoming O-360-A1D 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Fire: On-Ground - Flight: Aerial observation, Part 91 - Registered owner: Richard E. Kibbey - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, May 10, 2002, 52 hours before - Departed: AWO, Arlington, WA - Airport: AWO, Arlington Municipal, runway 16, 5,333 × 100 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 61; injuries: fatal; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review August 28, 2001; seat: left; toxicology performed; flight hours: 1,845 total ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 190° at 7 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 75 °F, dew point 54 °F - Altimeter: 30.20 inHg - Observed at: AWO ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20020909024489A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020909024489A), Sep 9, 2002: Cessna 175B, Arlington, WA, Substantial damage, 1 fatal. (-23) Aircraft departed Arlington airport, rwy 16. Eye witnesses stated that at approximately 200' AGL, the aircraft appeared to lose power, bank sharply to… ## Docket (14 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 22, 2004, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=55682. 4.1 MB in all. - Supplement A (item 1, .PDF, 108 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40208239&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Supplement%20A-Master.PDF - Supplement B (item 2, .PDF, 149 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40208240&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Supplement%20B-Master.PDF - Supplement S (item 3, .PDF, 30 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40208241&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Supplement%20S-Master.PDF - Passenger Statements (item 4, .PDF, 241 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40384295&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Passenger%20Statements-Redacted.PDF - Witness Statements (item 5, .PDF, 2.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40384296&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Witness%20Statements-Redacted.PDF - Wreckage Diagram (item 6, .PDF, 194 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40208245&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Wreckage%20Diagram-Master.PDF - Medical Records Information (item 7, .PDF, 48 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40198424&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Medical%20Records%20Information-Master.PDF - Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation (item 8, .PDF, 329 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40384297&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Statement%20of%20Party%20Representatives%20to%20NTSB%20Investigation-Redacted.PDF - Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 (item 9, .PDF, 42 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40384298&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Release%20of%20Aircraft%20Wreckage,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.15-Redacted.PDF - Toxicological Report (item 10, .PDF, 70 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40384299&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Toxicological%20Report-Redacted.PDF - Digital Image 1. View of ground disturbance. (item 11, .PDF, 134 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40208256&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Digital%20Image%201.%20%20View%20of%20ground%20disturbance.-Master.PDF - Digital Image 2. Forward view of wreckage. (item 12, .PDF, 133 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40208258&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Digital%20Image%202.%20%20Forward%20view%20of%20wreckage.-Master.PDF - Digital Image 3. Left side view of wreckage. (item 13, .PDF, 132 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40208261&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Digital%20Image%203.%20%20Left%20side%20view%20of%20wreckage.-Master.PDF - Digital Image 4. Right side view of wreckage. (item 14, .PDF, 134 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40208263&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Digital%20Image%204.%20%20Right%20side%20view%20of%20wreckage.-Master.PDF 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.