Piper PA-28-140 accident near Eastsound, Washington, December 20, 1987
On December 20, 1987 at about 9:55 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N4306J, was destroyed in an accident near Eastsound, Washington. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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
- December 20, 1987 · about 9:55 pm local time
- Place
- Eastsound, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N4306J · no longer on the register · serial 28-22678
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT DEPD SOUTH FROM AN UNATTENDED ISLAND ARPT AT SEA LEVEL & FLEW INTO MARGINAL VFR CONDS WITH MODERATE SNOWFALL. ACQUAINTANCES AT THE ARPT RPRTD THE PLT EXPRESSED AN URGENT NEED TO RETURN TO SNOHOMISH, WA, DESPITE THE WX CONDS. WHEN THE ACFT DID NOT ARRIVE, A SEARCH WAS INITIATED. A USCG HELICOPTER CREW LOCATED THE WRECKAGE BY HOMING ON A WEAK ELT SIGNAL THE NEXT DAY. THE ACFT HAD HIT TREES ON A KNOLL IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN ABOUT 4 MI SSW OF THE DEP ARPT. IMPACTOCCURRED ON A NORTHERLY HEADING AT AN ELEV OF ABOUT 1400' MSL. THE FLAP HANDLE WAS FND IN THE 2ND NOTCH. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS EVIDENT. THE PLT WAS NOT INSTRUMENT RATED. AN AIRLINE EMPLOYEE, WORKING OUTDOORS SOUTH OF THE ARPT, OBSERVED THE ACFT DRG THE INITIAL CLIMB. HE RPRTD THE ACFT APPEARED TO BE OPERATING NORMALLY & ESTIMATED THE CEILING IN THAT AREA WAS ABOUT 1000' AGL WITH 3 MI VIS & MODERATE SNOWFALL. THE ARPT ELEV WAS 25'. ABOUT 18 MI WEST,THE WX WAS IN PART: 400' PARTIAL OBSCURATION, 1300' BROKEN, VIS 2.5 MI WITH SNOW, WIND 270 DEG AT 4 KTS.
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: 330 hours in all; 25 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 18, 1987
- Maximum gross weight: 1,950 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Destination: S43 Snohomish WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds; not recorded
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:00 pm from YYJ, 18 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.
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.