- Date
- October 9, 1997, 15:50 local (23:50 UTC)
- Place
- Friday Harbor, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N9428GCessna U-206E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 13, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19971009043509A
- Case key
- 42754
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
the pilot's failure to park with the aircraft headed into the wind in high wind conditions. A factor include the high wind condition.
Analysis
The pilot stated that after taxiing in to park at the US Customs office, a gust from the 7 to 8 o'clock position brought the left wing up, followed by the tail of the aircraft. This resulted in the right wing striking the pavement, followed by a propeller strike. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the occurrence, with winds reported to be 22 knots, gusting to greater than 30 knots.
Factual narrative
On October 9, 1997, approximately 1550 Pacific standard time, N9428G, a Cessna U-206E, sustained substantial damage prior to shutdown at Friday Harbor, Washington, when a gust of wind lifted the tail and caused the right wing to impact the pavement. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was uninjured. The flight had departed Victoria, BC, Canada, where the pilot had dropped off passengers on a 14 CFR 135 flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the occurrence, with winds reported to be 22 knots, gusting to greater than 30 knots. There was no report of the ELT actuating.
The pilot stated that after taxiing in to park at the US Customs office, a gust from the 7 to 8 o'clock position brought the left wing up, followed by the tail of the aircraft, causing the right wing to strike the pavement, followed by a propeller strike.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9428G
- Reported as
- Cessna U-206E
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20601628
- Airframe hours
- 5,057
- Engine
- Continental IO-520, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Aeronautical Services, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Raven Air
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 17, 1997 · 25 hours before
- Departed
- YYJ · Victoria, Bc
- Destination
- FHR
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- FRH · Friday Harbor
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
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,800 total · 150 in this make and model · 262 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 135° at 22 knots, gusting 30
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 39 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N9428G · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.