- Date
- July 22, 1994, 16:05 local (23:05 UTC)
- Place
- Seattle, WA
- Injuries
- 4 minor; on the ground: 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N73175Cessna 172M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 26, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940722019199A
- Case key
- 41983
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 proper touchdown point was misjudged by the pilot. During the go-around attempt, he failed to maintain clearance from obstacles.
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
The recently certificated seaplane pilot elected to attempt a go-around from his approach to land at the seaplane base, after determining that he was too close to shore to touch down. The aircraft impacted trees and other objects, including an occupied automobile, during the go-around attempt.
Factual narrative
On July 22, 1994, at 1605 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172M floatplane, N73175, sustained substantial damage when it impacted property and terrain during a go-around from a landing in the harbor near the Kenmore Air Harbor facility in Seattle, Washington. The private pilot and his wife sustained minor injuries, and two persons on the ground also received minor injuries when their automobile and the aircraft collided. There was no flight plan filed for the flight, which had originated in the harbor about a half hour earlier.
The pilot stated to FAA inspectors that he had come in high, elected to go around, and retracted the flaps. He noted that his climb rate was between 150 and 200 feet per minute. The aircraft struck antennas, wires, a satellite dish and two vehicles on the surface. The accident occurred on Highway 522, and closed down traffic for about three hours during rush hour traffic.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N73175
- Reported as
- Cessna 172M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17267302
- Airframe hours
- 5,360
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Kenmore Air Harbor
- Registered owner
- Kenmore Air Harbor
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 10, 1994 · 37 hours before
- Airport
- S6O · Kenmore
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
- 39
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 96 total · 43 in this make and model · 36 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 55 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.