Cessna 172RG accident near Roche Harbor, Washington, July 12, 2007
On July 12, 2007 at about 1:30 am local time, a Cessna 172RG, registered N9551B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Roche Harbor, Washington (Roche Harbor Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to perform the emergency landing gear extension procedure prior to landing. A contributing factor in the accident was the failure of the electrical system.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 12, 2007 · about 1:30 am local time
- Place
- Roche Harbor, Washington · Roche Harbor Airport
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172RG · all 172RGs on the register
- Registration
- N9551B · registry record · serial 172RG0873
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
As the airplane approached the destination airport, it had an electrical failure. The pilot stated he was concerned about the potential for an electrical fire, and elected not to attempt to troubleshoot the malfunction. He extended the landing gear by placing the gear lever in the "DOWN" position, and said he visually confirmed that they were down by the mirrors affixed to the wings, as the landing gear indicator lights in the cockpit were not illuminated due to the loss of electrical power. The pilot did not use the emergency gear extension system. With the landing gear appearing to be extended, the airplane touched down on the runway and the main landing gear collapsed. The airplane's loss of electrical power rendered the landing gear warning system inoperative; the warning system is designed to help prevent the pilot from inadvertently making a landing with the landing gear retracted. No evidence of any mechanical malfunction was found during the postimpact examination of the landing gear and alternator/battery electrical system. If the pilot had used the emergency gear extension system per the procedures prescribed in the pilot's operating handbook, it is probable that the landing gear would have extended and locked. The underlying cause of the electrical system 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
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine
- Flight time: 1,400 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: May 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,531 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-F1A6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KPWT Bremerton WA
- Destination: WA09 Roche Harbor WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 3,593 ft by 30 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 am from FHR, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Other NTSB records under N9551B the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX07LA215.