- Date
- July 20, 2021, 17:00 local (Jul 21, 2021, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Renton, WA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N46287Cessna 172I
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20210720011259A
- Case key
- 103583
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 boat operator’s failure to remain a safe distance from the floatplane during the takeoff run, which resulted in a collision.
Findings · 2
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 flight instructor reported that during the water takeoff to the north, in the floatplane, he noticed a jet boat that was operating about 1,000 ft east of the floatplane. The boat was traveling generally in the same direction and diverging from the area which they had planned to takeoff. During the takeoff run, the boat abruptly altered its course and began to converge upon the floatplane’s takeoff path. The flight instructor told the pilot receiving instruction to turn left, as he retarded the throttle to the idle position in an attempt to avoid the boat. The boat subsequently collided with the right side of the floatplane substantially damaging the right-side empennage and stabilizer. Just before the boat collided with the floatplane, the pilot observed that the boat operator was turned completely towards the rear of the boat. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N46287
- Reported as
- Cessna 172I
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17257157
- Built
- 1968
- Airframe hours
- 4,254
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · June 8, 2021
- Airport
- W36 · Will Rogers Wiley Post Meml, runway 12W/30W, 5,000 × 200 ft, water
- Equipment
- ADS-B
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2
- Last flight review
- March 3, 2021
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 5,100 total · 2,500 in this make and model · 4,950 as pilot in command · 400 in the last 90 days · 155 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 40
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 20, 2021
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 269 total · 1 in this make and model · 187 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,600 ft broken
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- KRNT
- METAR
- METAR KRNT 202353Z 34004KT 10SM BKN036 22/12 A3012 RMK AO2 SLP205 T02170117 10217 20161 58017=
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 12, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.3 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.