Piper PA-22 accident near Enumclaw, Washington, March 30, 2007
On March 30, 2007 at about 11:45 pm local time, a Piper PA-22, registered N968A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Enumclaw, 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to apply carburetor heat during cruise flight. Factors include ambient weather conditions that were conducive to carburetor icing, and soft, muddy terrain at the location where the pilot attempted the power-off forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 30, 2007 · about 11:45 pm local time
- Place
- Enumclaw, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22 · all PA-22s on the register
- Registration
- N968A · registry record · serial 22-280
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While in cruise flight in ambient weather conditions under which the aircraft's carburetor was susceptible to icing (temperature 10 degres C, and dew point 7 degrees C), the engine began to lose power. Although the pilot switched fuel tanks, she did not apply carburetor heat, and eventually all engine power was lost. The pilot attempted a forced landing in a nearby field, but during the landing roll the aircraft encountered soft, muddy terrain, whereupon it rocked from side to side with sufficient amplitude to result in the wingtips coming in contact with the terrain. A post-accident inspection of the engine found no anomalies that would have kept the engine from running under non-icing conditions.
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: 616 hours in all; 370 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: January 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,763 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2006
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KPLU Puyallup WA at 4:00 pm
- Destination: KPLU Puyallup WA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,200 ft; a few clouds at 800 ft
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from KTIW, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 SEA07CA086.