Cessna 172S accident near Anacortes, Washington, September 18, 2003
On September 18, 2003 at about 2:35 am local time, a Cessna 172S, registered N3555L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Anacortes, Washington (Anacortes 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
The pilot attempting to taxi the airplane with a known system deficiency. Factors include worn wheel brakes and a drainage ditch.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 18, 2003 · about 2:35 am local time
- Place
- Anacortes, Washington · Anacortes · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N3555L · registry record · serial 172S8865
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported he experienced a complete wheel brake failure while taxiing for takeoff. The pilot said that he applied brakes, with little response, as the airplane neared the end of the inclined taxiway. He reported that he was not able to stop the airplane, and it continued off the end of the taxiway. After exiting the taxiway, the airplane encountered rough uneven terrain and eventually came to rest, nose down, in a drainage ditch. In a written statement, the pilot reported that on the previous landing, the airplane "shuttered violently" when he applied wheel brakes during the landing roll. He stated that after parking the airplane he noticed brake fluid "dripping" from the area of the wheel brakes. The pilot also stated that after discovering the problem with the brakes, he contacted the operator of the airplane concerning the problem. The pilot reported that the operator instructed him to "...ferry the aircraft back to ORS [Orcas Island] for maintenance." In a written report dated November 20, 2003, the operator stated that the pilot advised him that only a small amount of brake fluid had leaked from the system. Post accident examination of the wheel brake components by an investigator from the National Transportation Safety Board revealed that the brake pads were worn beyond limits, which allowed the caliper seals (O-ring) to unseat resulting in a loss of brake fluid.
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: 151 hours in all; 132 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 85 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 6, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 785 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 4, 2003; 85 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: ORS Eastsound WA at 1:15 am
- Destination: 74S Anacortes WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 3,015 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 6,000 ft; scat at 4,400 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 3:30 am from BVS, 20 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.