Cessna 172N accident near Redmond, Washington, February 28, 1982
On February 28, 1982 at about 6:18 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N4787E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Redmond, Washington. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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
- February 28, 1982 · about 6:18 pm local time
- Place
- Redmond, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N4787E · registry record · serial 17271652
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STUDENT AND INSTRUCTOR WERE PRACTICING WATER LANDINGS ON LAKE SAMMAMISH NEAR REDMOND, WA. THE WINDS WERE INITIALLY CALM. ON THE SECOND LANDING, IT WAS NOTED THAT THE WIND BEGAN TO PICK UP. REPORTEDLY, WIND SHEAR WAS ENCOUNTERED DURING FINAL APPROACH FOR THE THIRD LANDING. A HIGH SINK RATE DEVELOPED AND THE PLANE LANDED HARD. THE FRONT OF THE LEFT FLOAT SPLIT OPEN AND FILLED WITH WATER. THE AIRCRAFT SLOWLY ROLLED OVER AND SANK.
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: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,480 hours in all; 425 in this make and model; 90 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 1,210 as pilot in command; 1,180 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,989 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 90 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Kenmore Air Harbor, Incorporat
The flight
- Departed from: S60 Kenmore WA at 9:30 am
- Destination: S60 Kenmore WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 60 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 18,000 ft
- Temperature: 108°F (42°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.