Cessna 172P accident near Seattle, Washington, June 15, 2003
On June 15, 2003 at about 2:50 am local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N9566L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Seattle, Washington. 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 visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The dual student's failure to maintain aircraft control and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action. Contributing factors were the crosswind condition and the flight instructor's lack of experience.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 15, 2003 · about 2:50 am local time
- Place
- Seattle, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N9566L · registry record · serial 17276578
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student conducted several takeoffs/landings in the Cessna 172P floatplane into a 9 knot southerly wind and then executed a westbound crosswind approach and landing. The instructor reported that there were no hazardous water conditions, no whitecaps or deep swells at the time. The instructor reported that the student lowered 30 degrees of flaps and established a standard descent attitude and airspeed of 65 knots. Upon touchdown the aircraft made a "strong" contact with water on the upwind float, pitched nose down and then nosed over. The operator's training manual for the 172P floatplane contained procedures and guidance for crosswind landings specifically, final approach speed in a crosswind landing should be 65 knots, with 20 degrees of flaps. The instructor reported a total of 224 hours in the Cessna 172 model aircraft of which slightly more than 6 hours were logged as instructor time (all in the Cessna 172). Additionally, his flight instructor certificate was issued two months prior to the accident. Winds at Boeing Field (six nautical miles south) of the site were reported as 160 degrees magnetic at four knots.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 295 hours in all; 224 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 236 as pilot in command; 6 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 23, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 180 hours in all; 180 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 63 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 18, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,094 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 19, 2003; 45 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: W55 Kenmore WA at 2:30 am
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 8,500 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 am from BFI, 6 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N9566L 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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 SEA03LA103.