Grumman G-44 accident near Belliigham, Washington, April 2, 2004
On April 2, 2004 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Grumman G-44, registered N65914, was substantially damaged in an accident near Belliigham, Washington. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the pilot to select the proper touchdown point while conducting a forced landing. Factors included the #1 engine malfunction, the right propeller oil control valve leak, and the shallow subsurface terrain condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 2, 2004 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Belliigham, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman G-44 · all G-44s on the register
- Registration
- N65914 · registry record · serial 1385
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Not long into the flight the left engine began running rough. After adjusting the engine controls the engine smoothed out, but then began running rough again, prompting the pilot to proceed to his home base. Approaching his destination and observing that he could only get 1900 rpm out of the right propeller after advancing the throttle to 28.5 inches of manifold pressure, the pilot elected to proceed to a nearby airport. However, due to a radio communication failure and inability to maintain sufficient altitude to clear terrain bordering the airport, the pilot decided to make a water landing on the 20 square-mile bay adjoining the airport. Not realizing the tide was out and that the water was only about 6 inches deep, the pilot landed approximately 600 to 650 feet paralled to the shoreline. Subsequently, the right wing float impacted subsurface terrain, collapsing the float aft in compression and pivoting the float aft and up, substantially damaging the right aileron and four wing ribs. A post accident examination of the right engine and propeller revealed the propeller's oil control valve had developed a leak, which resulted in a lack of engine oil to the propeller. No definitive reason for the leak had been determined. Examination of the rough running left engine failed to reveal any anomalies which would preclude normal operation.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine
- Flight time: 13,739 hours in all; 3,143 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 13,660 as pilot in command; 7,214 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 4, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,232.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 18, 2003; 2.7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,525 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Fairchild L-440C5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Fairchild L-440C5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 0W7 Lake Whatcom WA at 7:58 pm
- Destination: OW7 Lake Whatcom WA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.39 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number SEA04LA064.