Piper PA-22 accident near Friday Harbor, Washington, March 28, 2002
On March 28, 2002 at about 11:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-22, registered N1810P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Friday Harbor, Washington (Friday Harbor airport). It was a personal flight 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 brake system during the landing roll. An intentional ground loop and a dirt bank were factors.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 28, 2002 · about 11:15 pm local time
- Place
- Friday Harbor, Washington · Friday Harbor · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22 · all PA-22s on the register
- Registration
- N1810P · registry record · serial 22-2589
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that after touchdown, and during the landing roll, he applied the brake to make the airplane turn to the right. The pilot stated that the right brake did not hold and the aircraft veered to the left. The pilot could not get the airplane to turn back to the right and seeing that the airplane was traveling toward a bank, he applied hard left brake and intentionally ground-looped the aircraft. During the ground loop maneuver, the right wing was substantially damaged.
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
- Flight time: 1,198 hours in all; 479 in this make and model
- Last flight review: August 20, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,879 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2002; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,950 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BVS Burlington WA
- Destination: FHR Friday Harbor WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 3,400 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,100 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.28 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from FHR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N1810P the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.