Amateur-built Magnum accident near Greenwater, Washington, August 16, 2003
On August 16, 2003 at about 10:45 pm local time, a amateur-built Magnum, registered N2054F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Greenwater, Washington. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control while manuevering for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 16, 2003 · about 10:45 pm local time
- Place
- Greenwater, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Magnum
- Registration
- N2054F · registry record · serial 35M
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A witness who was staying in a campground in close proximity to the accident site reported hearing a small plane flying in a southerly direction, and as it passed overhead "the engine missed once, and then caught again and continued running as the plane continue south." As the plane continued south the witness stated that he did not hear any additional problems, but the engine appeard to be running somewhat roughly, and as the plane continued further south he assumed everything was ok. Several minutes later he heard sirens moving south. Examination of the wreckage revealed the airplane went down steeply between two trees, there was no fire, and there was a significant fuel spill. Examination of the airframe, flight controls, engine assembly and accessories revealed no evidence of a precrash mechanical failure or malfunction. All components necessary for flight were present at the crash site. An autopsy on the pilot revealed artherosclerosis of coronary arteries, focal, moderate to marked, and atherosclerosis of aorta, mild. "Toxicological tests indicated nordiazepam (0.024 ug/ml) detected in blood, and nordiazpam, oxazepam, and temazepam detected in urine."
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: 500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (invalid medical for flight)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 36 hours
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1S0 Puyallup WA at 10:15 pm
- Destination: 21W Greenwater WA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 2 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 11:55 pm from GRF, 50 miles away
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 N2054F 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 SEA03LA170.