- Date
- May 3, 1985, 17:59 local (May 4, 1985, 00:59 UTC)
- Place
- Seattle, WA
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N2173BPiper PA-32RT-300T
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850503016909A
- Case key
- 40040
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
After liftoff, the plt requested an immediate return for landing stating he, 'smelled smoke/something hot'. Downwind for the precautionary landing was flown at 200 ft AGL, a slow airspeed and close to the runway with a crosswind blowing the acft toward the runway. Witnesses observed the apch turn steepen to an aprx 60 deg angle of bank with minor pitch and yaw excursions (local plts report that wind from the southwest produces turbulence and windshear due to surrounding structures) before the nose pitched up abruptly and the acft fell off on the right wing, rolling to a near-vertical attitude and impacting the runway. The acft was immediately engulfed in fire. Flaps were found in the up position. No evidence found of pre-impact source of smoke/heat as reported by the plt.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2173B
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32RT-300T (PA-32RT-30)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32R-7987035
- Airframe hours
- 1,295
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-540-S1AD, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Harold D. Pugh
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 24, 1984 · 87 hours before
- Destination
- MWI · Moses Lake, WA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- BFI · Boeing Field King County, runway 13R, 10,001 × 200 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 47
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,807 total · 350 in this make and model · 1,669 as pilot in command · 78 in the last 90 days · 23 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BFI, 1 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.