Piper PA-28 accident near Deer Harbor, Washington, September 23, 2004
On September 23, 2004 at about 5:50 pm local time, a Piper PA-28, registered N56775, was substantially damaged in an accident near Deer Harbor, Washington (Crane Island 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's failure to perform remedial action during the landing sequence. A factor contributing to the accident was the wet runway surface.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 23, 2004 · about 5:50 pm local time
- Place
- Deer Harbor, Washington · Crane Island · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28 · all PA-28s on the register
- Registration
- N56775 · no longer on the register · serial 28-7425033
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After making two low passes over the runway, the pilot landed on the third approach. During the rollout the brakes had little effect in slowing the aircraft, which subsequently overran the southeast end of the airstrip, rolling down an embankment before coming to rest upright. A post accident inspection of the 1,500 foot grass airstrip revealed that it had been mowed very short and was very wet. The airplane had sustained substantial damage to its right wing, firewall and engine mounts. The pilot stated that he hadn't experienced any mechanical difficulties or malfunctions with the airplane that contributed to the accident.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 946 hours in all; 354 in this make and model; 46 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S31 Lopez Island WA
- Destination: NA Deer Harbor WA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.