Piper PA-46-310-P accident near Bremerton, Washington, November 9, 1986
On November 9, 1986 at about 2:30 am local time, a Piper PA-46-310-P, registered N4323N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bremerton, Washington (Ktsap airport). 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).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
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
- November 9, 1986 · about 2:30 am local time
- Place
- Bremerton, Washington · Ktsap
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-46-310-P PA-46-310- · all PA-46-310-Ps on the register
- Registration
- N4323N · registry record · serial 46-8408011
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE NOSE GEAR DID NOT TURN THE FULL 90 DEGREES PRIOR TO LOCKING FOR LANDING. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT'S NOSE WAS LOWERED DURING LANDING ROLL THIS CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO VEER TO THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE NOSE GEAR HAD BECOME STIFF DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT PROVIDED ANY METHOD TO LUBRICATE THE TRUNION.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 850 hours in all; 460 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 680 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 619 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 2, 1986
- Maximum gross weight: 4,100 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-BE (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BFI Seattle WA at 1:30 am
- Destination: PWT Bremerton WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 1, 5,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
Other NTSB records under N4323N the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 SEA87LA053.