Cessna 305-A accident near Arlington, Washington, March 27, 1988
On March 27, 1988 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Cessna 305-A, registered N10442, was substantially damaged in an accident near Arlington, Washington (Arlington Municipal Arpt airport). It was a personal 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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 27, 1988 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Arlington, Washington · Arlington Municipal Arpt · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 305-A · all 305-As on the register
- Registration
- N10442 · registry record · serial 22595
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, AT ABOUT 200 FEET AGL, A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER OCCURRED. A FORCED LANDING WAS MADE ONTO A TURF FIELD NEXT TO THE RUNWAY. DURING LANDING THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER INVERTED. THE PILOT STATED TO FAA INSPECTORS THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD SET OUTSIDE WITH LESS THAN FULL FUEL. THE ACFT ON THE FLOATS HAS A SLIGHTLY NOSE LOW ATTITUDE WHICH PLACES WATER IN THE FUEL TANK AWAY FROM THE DRAIN LOW POINT. THE PLTS RECOMMENDATION FOR PREVENTION IS TO TILT THE FLOAT PLANE TO A FLYING ATTITUDE AND THEN DRAIN THE FUEL. FUEL SAMPLES TAKEN AFTER THE ACC SNOWED 20 PERCENT WATER IN THE RT TANK AND IN THE CARBURETOR. THE PLT STATED THAT RAIN HAD SEEPED INTO THE RT TANK THROUGH THE FILLER CAP.
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; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 1,300 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 1,300 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,648 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 15, 1987
- Maximum gross weight: 2,100 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-470-J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S88 Arlington WA at 9:00 pm
- Destination: ADQ Kodiak AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 11, 2,800 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.