Piper PA-22 accident near Cle Elum, Washington, September 29, 2003
On September 29, 2003 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-22, registered N2291A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cle Elum, Washington (Cle Elum Municipal 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
An undershoot due to the pilot's failure to maintain a proper glide path on final approach to landing. A factor was the gravel.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 29, 2003 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Cle Elum, Washington · Cle Elum Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22 · all PA-22s on the register
- Registration
- N2291A · registry record · serial 22-676
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Observing he was low on the glide path during his approach to landing, the pilot added power but still landed 15 feet short of the runway, resulting in the nose gear collapsing. The aircraft continued forward for another 300 feet before encountering a gravel area, which resulted in the airplane flipping over and coming to rest in an inverted position.
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: 1,035 hours in all; 940 in this make and model; 37 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 965 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 19, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,598 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 18, 2002; 62 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ELN Ellensburg WA at 9:45 pm
- Destination: S93 Cle Elum WA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 07, 2,560 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from ELN, 23 miles away
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.
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.