Cessna 172S accident near Everett, Washington, February 9, 2003
On February 9, 2003 at about 11:40 pm local time, a Cessna 172S, registered N912LB, was substantially damaged in an accident near Everett, Washington (Snohomish County (Paine Field)). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed and the instructor's inadequate supervision of the flight. Contributing factors were the rime icing conditions, and the soft terrain encountered on the off runway rollout.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 9, 2003 · about 11:40 pm local time
- Place
- Everett, Washington · Snohomish County (Paine Field) · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N912LB · registry record · serial 172S8609
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot under instruction (PUI) was engaged in training towards an instrument rating with a flight instructor pilot (IP) and had just executed a missed approach. During the missed approach maneuver, following his first instrument approach in IMC, the aircraft began picking up rime ice. The IP chose to terminate the flight and the aircraft was cleared via radar vectors for the ILS Runway 16R approach to the 9,010 foot long runway. The IP briefed the PUI on the procedures for the approach, specifically the need to maintain higher than normal airspeeds down to touchdown. On short final, about 10-15 feet above ground, and as the PUI retarded power and began decelerating to 70-75 knots, the left wing dropped and the aircraft landed hard on the left main gear and bounced. The IP then took control of the aircraft but was unable to regain directional control. The aircraft continued off the left side of the runway and into soft terrain, during which the nose gear dug in and the aircraft nosed over.
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: 191 hours in all; 189 in this make and model; 106 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 19, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,109 hours in all; 286 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 2,054 as pilot in command; 1,465 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 2, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 730 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 31, 2003; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BFI Seattle WA at 10:40 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 16R, 9,010 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 700 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from PAE
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.