Piper PA-32RT-300T accident near Port Angeles, Washington, April 16, 1988
On April 16, 1988 at about 12:45 pm local time, a Piper PA-32RT-300T, registered N36815, was destroyed in an accident near Port Angeles, Washington (Fairchild airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were 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
- April 16, 1988 · about 12:45 pm local time
- Place
- Port Angeles, Washington · Fairchild · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32RT-300T PA-32RT-30 · all PA-32RT-300Ts on the register
- Registration
- N36815 · no longer on the register · serial 32R 7887086
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DRG ARR, THE FLT WAS HANDED OFF TO WHIDBEY ISLAND APCH CTL AT WHIDBEY ISLAND (NUW) NAVAL AIR STN (NAS). NUW WAS 35 MI NE OF THE DESTN (FAIRCHILD INTL ARPT/CLM), AT PORT ANGELES, WHICH HAD NO OPERG CTL TWR. THE PLT WAS GIVEN THE NUW WX, WHICH WAS 400 SCAT, ESTD 2600' OVC, VIS 6 MI WITH FOG. THE FLT WAS VECTORED TOWARD CLM & WAS CLRD TO DSCND TO THE MIN VECTORING ALT OF 1000' MSL OVER THE STRAITS OF JUAN DE FUCA. THE PLT RPRTD THE ARPT BEACON IN SIGHT & CANCELLED HIS IFR CLNC. THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED TO FLY OVER THE ARPT AT LOW ALT ON A SW HEADING. THE UNICOM OPERATOR ASKED THE PLT FOR A CEILING RPRT, BUT THE PLT REPLIED THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CEILING DUE TO FOG. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT CRASHEDON RISING TERRAIN ABOUT 2 MI SSW OF THE ARPT, WHILE IN A LEVEL TURN AT AN ELEV OF 1300'. THE 0505 PDT WX AT CLM WAS ESTD 500' BRKN, 4000' OVC, VIS 6 MI WITH FOG. THE CTLR RPRTD THAT ON INITIAL CONTACT WITH THE FLT, THE 0505 WX FOR CLM WAS NOT YET AVAILABLE ON HIS WX VISION SCREEN. THE ARPT ELEV AT CLM WAS 290'.
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 834 hours in all; 203 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 737 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 915 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 12, 1987; 80 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-S1AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OLM Olympia WA at 12:07 pm
- Destination: CLM
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 8
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 270° at 7 knots
- Sky: broken clouds; not recorded
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:45 am from CLM, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.