Amateur-built PIETENPOL accident near Anacortes, Washington, July 7, 2019
On July 7, 2019, a 1991 amateur-built PIETENPOL, registered N7169K, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Anacortes, Washington (Anacortes airport). It was a flight test under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the left main landing gear attachment point during the landing roll for reasons that could not be determined because the attachment was not examined, which resulted in a loss of directional control, collision with a drainage culvert, and a subsequent nose-over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 7, 2019
- Place
- Anacortes, Washington · Anacortes · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built PIETENPOL, built 1991
- Registration
- N7169K · no longer on the register · serial 1
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that this was the first test flight after the experimental, amateur-built airplane had been reassembled following purchase and transport. The pilot performed two high-speed taxi runs, he back taxied, and then he took off. During the landing roll, "the left front landing gear attachment lugs broke off the mount fitting." The pilot lost directional control of the airplane, and it ground looped to the right. The airplane entered a ditch and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left-wing aft lift strut. The left main landing gear attachment was not examined; therefore, the reason for its failure could not be determined.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main landing gear attach sec › Failure
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › (general) › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 4,775 hours in all; 35 in this make and model; 4,775 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 27, 2017
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 90.5 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, July 2, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 1,120 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Ford Model B (piston); 90 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 74S Anacortes WA at 11:30 pm
- Destination: 74S Anacortes WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 3,015 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,300 ft; scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on December 5, 2019. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.