- Date
- September 12, 2018, 08:10 local (15:10 UTC)
- Place
- Roche Harbor, WA · on airport
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Prior to flight
- Aircraft
- N24MECessna 172
- Defining event
- Prior to flight: Preflight or dispatch event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 3
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20180912013449A
- Case key
- 98285
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 failure to secure his seat position prior to takeoff, which resulted in a loss of airplane control and subsequent hard landing.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that he adjusted his seat and “wiggled it” prior to takeoff to ensure it was locked in place. However, during the takeoff roll, the seat moved all the way aft, and the pilot was not able to reach the throttle or the rudder pedals. The airplane veered to the left and lifted off the ground. Shortly after, the tail struck the ground, followed by the left wing, and the airplane came to rest on its nose. A postaccident examination of the seat rail and latching mechanism revealed no anomalies. There was proper hole engagement with the seat pin and holes in the seat rail; the seat did not move once the stop was engaged with the hole. Therefore, it is likely that although the pilot attempted to secure his seat before takeoff, the seat pin was likely not engaged in the corresponding hole in the seat rail, which resulted in its aft movement when the airplane gained speed during the takeoff roll.
Factual narrative
On September 12, 2018, at 0810 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172 airplane, N24ME, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Roche Harbor, Washington. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 positioning flight. According to the pilot, just prior to takeoff, he adjusted his seat and “wiggled it” to ensure it was locked. During the takeoff roll, the seat moved all the way aft, and the pilot was not able to reach the throttle or the rudder pedals. The airplane veered to the left and lifted off the ground. Shortly after, the tail struck the ground, followed by the left wing, and the airplane came to rest on its nose. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector responded to the accident site. The FAA inspector observed the pilot’s seat in the farthest aft position with the stops engaged in the aft holes. He further reported that the seat moved freely in both directions, to each stop, with no binding encountered. Additionally, there was proper hole engagement with the seat pin and holes in the seat rail; the seat did not move once the stop was engaged with the hole.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N24ME
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (S)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S8463
- Built
- 2000
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540 SER, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Island Air
- Registered owner
- Cannery Leasing Ltd
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Destination
- BLI · Bellingham, WA
- Airport
- WA09 · Roche Harbor, runway 25, 3,593 × 30 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 48
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,030 total · 0 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 0.5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 400 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.92 inHg
- Observed at
- KFHR, 7 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KFHR 121453Z AUTO 00000KT 2 1/2SM BR OVC004 13/12 A2992
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 24, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.6 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.