Cessna 140 accident near Spanaway, Washington, December 6, 2004
On December 6, 2004 at about 11:50 pm local time, a Cessna 140, registered N3571V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Spanaway, Washington (Spanaway airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's misjudgment of distance/altitude during final approach to land which resulted in an undershoot and in flight collision with a fence. A factor was the pilot's alcohol impairment.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 6, 2004 · about 11:50 pm local time
- Place
- Spanaway, Washington · Spanaway · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 140 · all 140s on the register
- Registration
- N3571V · registry record · serial 14846
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During final approach to land, the airplane hit a barbed wire fence located about 30 feet from the threshold. The airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted on the runway. The rudder, vertical stabilizer, and the left wing strut were damaged. A deputy, who responded to the scene of the accident, noted an odor of alcohol coming from the pilot. With the pilot's permission, another deputy took a blood sample, which was submitted for alcohol testing. The test result was a blood alcohol content of 0.08 g/100mL. A review of the pilot's FAA medical file revealed that his application for a medical certificate dated April 18, 2003, was denied. The application was denied due, in part, to alcohol dependence.
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: 6,000 hours in all; 3,000 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 4,500 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 26, 2004; 18 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,460 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Teledyne Continental C-85 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1S0 Puyallup WA at 11:30 pm
- Destination: S44 Spanaway WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 2,724 ft by 20 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,000 ft; a few clouds at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.45 inHg
- Observation at 11:55 pm from KTCM, 3 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N3571V the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.