Cessna 172M accident near Friday Harbor, Washington, August 3, 1983
On August 3, 1983 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N80076, was substantially damaged in an accident near Friday Harbor, Washington (Friday Harbor airport). It was a personal 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
- August 3, 1983 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Friday Harbor, Washington · Friday Harbor · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N80076 · no longer on the register · serial 17266352
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING ARRIVAL, THE PLT ELECTED TO LAND ON AN UPHILL RWY WITH A TAIL WIND. SHE STATED THAT SHE WAS HIGH ON FINAL & SIDE SLIPPED UNTIL REACHING THE CORRECT ALTITUDE WHILE USING THE VASI LIGHTS FOR A REFERENCE. AS SHE APPROACHED THE RWY, THE WIND BLEW THE ACFT TO THE LEFT OF THE CENTERLINE. AN UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO CORRECT TO THE RIGHT. A DECISION WAS MADE TO GO-AROUND BEFORE REACHING MIDFIELD. THE PLT STATED THAT DUE TO THE ATTITUDE OF THE ACFT, SHE DID NOT SEE A CLUMP OF TREES AHEAD. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT STRUCK THE TREES (TO THE LEFT OF THE RWY) & CRASHED.
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
- Flight time: 328 hours in all; 91 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 252 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Unknown (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,710 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 26, 1983
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BFI Seattle WA at 5:40 pm
- Destination: S19 Friday Harbor WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 2,235 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:00 pm from S19
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.