Yakovlev Yak 54 accident near Friday Harbor, Washington, April 10, 2004
On April 10, 2004 at about 6:45 pm local time, a Yakovlev Yak 54, registered N14026, was substantially damaged in an accident near Friday Harbor, Washington. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to properly align with the runway. Factors include rough/uneven terrain, inadequate preflight planning and diminished forward visibility.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 10, 2004 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- Friday Harbor, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Yakovlev Yak 54
- Registration
- N14026 · no longer on the register · serial 04002
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
In a written statement the pilot reported that the purpose of the flight was to practice aerobatics in the local area. He reported that shortly after rolling the airplane inverted, to accomplish a "belt check", oil appeared on the airplane's windscreen and canopy. The oil on the windscreen impaired the pilot's vision and he elected to return to the departure airport and land. He stated that the airplane touched down on the left edge of the runway, encountered rough/uneven terrain and the nose gear collapsed. The pilot stated that he had not tightened the engine oil cap prior to departure. The oil cap was later found laying on the ground in the run-up area of the airstrip.
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: 1,478 hours in all; 26 in this make and model; 33 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Vendeneyev M14PX (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Friday Harbor WA
- Destination: Friday Harbor WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.