- Date
- September 27, 2004, 15:45 local (22:45 UTC)
- Place
- Friday Harbor, WA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N757RDCessna 152
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 3, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20040927034959A
- Case key
- 60238
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 delay in executing an aborted landing and his failure to obtain altitude/clearance from trees during the aborted landing. A factor was the pilot's failure to obtain the proper touchdown point as a result of his high airspeed on approach.
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
According to the pilot, the winds were calm, and he decided to land to the southeast on the 1,500-foot-long grass airstrip. He reported that he touched down approximately mid-field and "applied brakes lightly." About three-quarters of the way down the runway, he "decided to abort the landing due to high ground speed." He lifted off just prior to the end of the runway. However, "the climb was insufficient" to clear trees ahead so he turned left towards an open field. The airplane impacted trees on the edge of the field and came to rest nose down suspended in the trees. The pilot reported that the accident could have been prevented by "slower approach speed and earlier touch down.
Factual narrative
On September 27, 2004, at 1545 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 152, N757RD, sustained substantial damage when it impacted trees during an aborted landing at a private airstrip on Crane Island, located about 4 nautical miles north of Friday Harbor, Washington. The private pilot and his passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the Title 14 CFR Part 91 business flight. The flight departed from Burlington, Washington and the intended destination was Crane Island.
According to the pilot, the winds were calm, and he decided to land to the southeast on the 1,500-foot-long grass airstrip. He reported that he touched down approximately mid-field and "applied brakes lightly." About three-quarters of the way down the runway, he "decided to abort the landing due to high ground speed." He lifted off just prior to the end of the runway. However, "the climb was insufficient" to clear trees ahead so he turned left towards an open field. The airplane impacted trees on the edge of the field and came to rest nose down suspended in the trees. The pilot reported that the accident could have been prevented by "slower approach speed and earlier touch down."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N757RD
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15279936
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Terry L Kiser
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- BUS · Burlington, WA
- Destination
- Friday Harbor, WA
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
- 36
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 380 total · 100 in this make and model · 330 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Temperature
- 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.