Cessna 172 accident near Leavenworth, Washington, August 19, 2007
On August 19, 2007 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N5967A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Leavenworth, Washington (Lake Wenatchee State Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain an adequate clearance from the trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 19, 2007 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Leavenworth, Washington · Lake Wenatchee State Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N5967A · no longer on the register · serial 17228567
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While taking off uphill on a short turf runway towards rising terrain, the airplane impacted trees 70 feet in height off the departure end of the runway. The runway surface was turf, in poor condition and rough, and 2,473 feet in length. Trees surrounded the airport and they were in close proximity to the runway's approach and departure ends. According to Cessna Aircraft, the performance charts in the information manual for the airplane show that 2,100 feet was needed to clear a 50-foot obstacle. The pilot said he estimated that he needed 2,000 feet of takeoff distance to clear a 50-foot obstacle. An FAA inspector examined the airplane and noted no mechanical difficulties that would have precluded normal operation.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 396 hours in all; 107 in this make and model; 71 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 301 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 27W Leavenworth WA at 4:30 pm
- Destination: 1W1 Camas WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 2,473 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 60 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 11:55 pm from EAT, 33 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.