Cessna 177 accident near Woodland, Washington, June 20, 2003
On June 20, 2003, a Cessna 177, registered N2279Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Woodland, Washington (Woodland State airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's premature liftoff and his failure to maintain/obtain airspeed and directional control during takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 20, 2003
- Place
- Woodland, Washington · Woodland State · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177 · all 177s on the register
- Registration
- N2279Y · no longer on the register · serial 17700079
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot reported that he was attempting a short field takeoff from runway 14. He reported that the airplane's acceleration for takeoff was normal, however, shortly after liftoff the airplane settled back on to the runway. The pilot continued the takeoff and the airplane became airborne a second time. The pilot estimated that the airplane's speed was approximately 50 mph when the airplane became airborne the second time. Shortly after becoming airborne, the airplane yawed to the left and began to settle back to the ground. The pilot reported that the airplane settled approximately 100 feet to the left of the runway. When the airplane contacted terrain a second time, the right main landing gear and nose gear collapsed.
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: 2,673 hours in all; 834 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: WA71 Woodland WA
- Destination: WA71 Woodland WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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 N2279Y 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.