Piper PA-28-161 accident near Twisp, Washington, April 12, 2008
On April 12, 2008 at about 6:57 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-161, registered N3051W, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi (from runway) near Twisp, Washington (Twisp Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from a ground obstacle while taxiing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 12, 2008 · about 6:57 pm local time · cases in 2008
- Place
- Twisp, Washington · Twisp Muni · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N3051W · registry record · serial 28-8116276
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot collided with a post while taxiing the airplane to a tie down area after landing at the uncontrolled airport. The pilot reported he was taxiing down a narrow taxiway bordered by hangars when the "...nose steering drifted towards the left..." The pilot reported that he attempted to compensate; however, the airplane collided with the post resulting in structural damage to the airplane's left wing. The post was located adjacent to a hangar approximately 27 feet west of the taxiway centerline. After colliding with the post, the pilot taxied the airplane to the designated tie down area.
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
What happened, in order
- Ground collision during taxi (from runway) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Pole › Not specified
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,120 hours in all; 920 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: June 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S36 Kent WA
- Destination: 2S0 Twisp WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 10, 2,701 ft by 36 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N3051W on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Piper PA-28 Cherokee, Warrior, Archer and Arrow 18,620 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Piper 44,838 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 1,069 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Twisp Municipal · nearest airport
- Crest Airfield · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Washington 2,713 since 1982 · 362 in the last ten years
- Washington 10,633 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/SEA08CA115.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.