Piper PA-46-350P accident near Pasco, Washington, December 1, 2002
On December 1, 2002, a Piper PA-46-350P, registered N9260P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pasco, Washington (Tri-Cities airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Icing conditions and the pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the landing. An inadvertent stall was a factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 1, 2002
- Place
- Pasco, Washington · Tri-Cities · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-46-350P · all PA-46-350Ps on the register
- Registration
- N9260P · registry record · serial 4636044
- 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 descending to a lower altitude, the airframe began picking up moderate to severe mixed ice. The pilot cycled the de-icing boots and turned on the windshield heat. After climbing back to a higher altitude, most of the ice cleared. The pilot was then cleared for the ILS approach. The pilot stated that the aircraft broke out of the clouds at about 400 feet and 1/4 mile from the runway. When the aircraft was over the runway numbers and about ten feet above the runway, the aircraft unexpectedly stalled. The pilot added full power, however, the right main landing gear touched down hard and the right wing tip contacted the runway surface. The landing was completed and the pilot taxied the airplane to the hangar. After exiting the aircraft, the pilot noted that most of the airframe was moderately to severely covered with ice, to include the leading edges of the vertical and horizontal stabilizers and the propeller spinner.
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: 1,543 hours in all; 160 in this make and model; 1,426 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 10, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 22, 2002
- Maximum gross weight: 4,300 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PDX Portland OR at 11:00 pm
- Destination: PSC Pasco WA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 21R, 770 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 500 ft
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.31 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
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 SEA03LA022.