Cessna 172P accident near Sinclair Island, Washington, January 30, 1982
On January 30, 1982 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N53294, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sinclair Island, Washington (Sinclair Island airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 30, 1982 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Sinclair Island, Washington · Sinclair Island · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N53294 · no longer on the register · serial 17274717
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPORT WAS A PRIVATELY OWNED STRIP APPROXIMATELY 1200 FT IN LENGTH. ABOUT THE LAST 25 PERCENT OF RUNWAY 33 WAS ANGLED APPROXIMATELY 30 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT. TTH RUNWAY WAS CONSIDERED UNIDIRECTIONAL WITH LANDINGS NORMALLY MADE TO THE NORTH/NORTHWEST AND TAKEOFFS MADE TO THE SOUTH/SOUTHEAST. TREES UP TO 50 FT TALL WERE LOCATED AT THE NORTH END WHILE THE SOUTH END WAS ESSENTIALLY UNOBSTRUCTED WITH AN OVERWATER APPROACH. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO STOP ON THE WET, GRASS RUNWAY WHILE LANDING WITH A 5 KNOT TAILWIND. THE PLANE CONTINUED OFF THE END OF THE RUNWAY, SLID THROUGH A FENCE AND STOPPED ON A ROAD.
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; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,227 hours in all; 515 in this make and model; 172 in the last 90 days; 70 in the last 30 days; 1,088 as pilot in command; 200 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 221 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 21 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: West Isle Air, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: 74S Anacortes WA at 11:55 am
- Destination: Sinclair Island WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 1,200 ft by 80 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 600 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 113°F (45°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.