Amateur-built AMPHIBIAN accident near Bellingham, Washington, July 8, 1982
On July 8, 1982 at about 4:56 pm local time, a amateur-built AMPHIBIAN, registered N9931X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bellingham, Washington (Bellingham International airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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
- July 8, 1982 · about 4:56 pm local time
- Place
- Bellingham, Washington · Bellingham International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built AMPHIBIAN
- Registration
- N9931X · no longer on the register · serial A-100
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING FLOWN ON A LOCAL TEST FLIGHT FOLLOWING A NEW ENGINE INSTALLATION. THIS WAS ONLY THE SECOND FLIGHT FOR THIS HOME BUILT AIRCRAFT. DURING CLIMB-OUT, THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT ALTITUDE FOR A NORMAL RUNWAY LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LANDED WITHIN THE AIRPORT BOUNDARIES, BUT RECEIVED HULL DAMAGE ON ROUGH TERRAIN. THE POWER LOSS WAS TRACED TO A MALFUNCTION OF THE PROPELLER GOVERNOR. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THIS WAS CAUSED BY A FOULED CABLE.
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; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 255 hours in all; 4 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 220 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-360-C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BLI Bellingham WA at 9:55 am
- Destination: BLI Bellingham WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 5,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 138°F (59°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:56 am from BLI
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.
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.