Amateur-built DHC-8 incident near Seattle, Washington, January 19, 2004
On January 19, 2004 at about 7:38 pm local time, a amateur-built DHC-8, registered CGTAQ, was involved in an incident near Seattle, Washington (Seattle-Tacoma Int. airport). It was flown under non-U.S. commercial rules. No one was hurt; 35 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight crew's misidentification of the parallel taxiway as the active runway, resulting in the flight crew executing a landing on the taxiway. Factors include sun glare and shadows around the runway/taxiway environment, and visual illusions created by the airport surface environment.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 19, 2004 · about 7:38 pm local time
- Place
- Seattle, Washington · Seattle-Tacoma Int. · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 35 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built DHC-8
- Registration
- CGTAQ · no longer on the register · serial 180
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · non-U.S. commercial rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight crew was cleared by Seattle Center for a visual approach to Runway 16 Right. They contacted Seattle-Tacoma Tower when they were near Elliot Bay, and were cleared to land on Runway 16 Right, number two behind a 737 that was then touching down. Because of the distance between their position and the preceding 737, neither flight crew member saw the aircraft they were sequenced behind. The Captain, who was flying at the time, therefore aligned the aircraft with what he felt sure was Runway 16 Right. He then continued on the approach, and completed what to him seemed to be an uneventful landing. Soon after the aircraft touched down, the tower advised the flight crew that they had landed on Taxiway Tango. The Captain said that when they lined up on final approach, there was an overcast over the approach end of the runway (which was dry), bright sunshine to the south of the airport, and a glare on the runway surface. According to him, this caused the area around the approach end of the runway to appear as one dark color (shadow), making it hard to differentiate between Runway 16 Right and Taxiway Tango. He further stated that he had been into Seattle-Tacoma Airport many times before, and was aware of the large "X" just off the north end of Taxiway Tango. But, according to the Captain, because of the contrast between the runway glare and the dark area around the approach end, he did not notice that he had flown over the "X" just prior to touching down on the taxiway.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 14,400 hours in all; 7,500 in this make and model
- Last flight review: February 4, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 11,000 hours in all; 3,500 in this make and model
- Last flight review: January 24, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme
- Maximum gross weight: 41,000 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: De Havilland DHC8/301 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Air Canada Jazz
The flight
- Departed from: CYVR Vancouver, Bc at 7:06 pm
- Destination: KSEA Seattle WA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 16R, 9,425 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,000 ft; scat at 4,300 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 7:56 pm from KSEA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 | |||
| Passengers | 32 |
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.