Cessna 340 accident near Bellevue, Washington, October 13, 1982
On October 13, 1982 at about 9:15 pm local time, a Cessna 340, registered N6GD, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bellevue, Washington (Bellevue Airfield). It was a business 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).
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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 13, 1982 · about 9:15 pm local time
- Place
- Bellevue, Washington · Bellevue Airfield · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 340 · all 340s on the register
- Registration
- N6GD · registry record · serial 0049
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE RIGHT ENGINE LOST POWER AT OR SHORTLY AFTER ROTATION FOR TAKEOFF. REPORTEDLY, THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT ROOM TO STOP ON THE RUNWAY WITH A HOUSE NEAR THE END. HE OPTED TO CONTINUE THE TAKEOFF AND FLY TO A SAFE LANDING AREA. HE STATED THAT HE FEATHERED THE RIGHT PROPELLER AND STARTED THE GEAR UP, BUT WAS UNABLE TO EITHER CLIMB OR MAINTAIN HIS AIRSPEED. THE SPEED DETERIORATED TO VMC OR BELOW AND REQUIRED A DESCENT TO JUST ABOVE THE WATER LEVEL OF A LAKE. DURING THIS TIME THE LEFT ENGINE POWER WAS REDUCED TO PREVENT A ROLL TO THE RIGHT. THE PLANE CONTINUED ACROSS THE LAKE FOR ABOUT 1 MILE. WITH THE FAR SHORE AND HIGHER TERRAIN APPROACHING, THE PILOT DITCHED THE PLANE, AND ABOUT 5 MINUTES LATER, IT SANK IN ABOUT 85 FT OF WATER. THE PLANE WAS RECOVER AND THE RIGHT ENGINE WAS STARTED AND AFTER IT WAS CLEANED AND A NEW STARTER VIBRATOR WAS INSTALLED. THE ENGINE WAS OPERATED TO THE RATED RPM.NO PREIMPACT MALFUNCTION WAS VERIFIED DURING THE INVESTIGATION.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,000 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model; 53 in the last 90 days; 5,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,700 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 217 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,975 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-NB (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: D&D Equip Whslrs, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: BVU Bellevue WA at 2:10 pm
- Destination: BFI Seattle WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 2, 2,325 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 160°F (71°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:46 pm from BFI, 5 miles away
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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 SEA83LA007.