Cessna 335 accident near Arlington, Washington, December 3, 1988
On December 3, 1988 at about 1:35 am local time, a Cessna 335, registered N2706F, was destroyed in an accident near Arlington, Washington (Arlington Muni airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 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
- December 3, 1988 · about 1:35 am local time
- Place
- Arlington, Washington · Arlington Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 335 · all 335s on the register
- Registration
- N2706F · no longer on the register · serial 3350016
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DRG A NGT ARR, THE PLT WAS VECTORED FOR A LOC RWY 34 APCH. AFTER RCHG THE FINAL APCH FIX/OUTER MARKER (OM), HE WAS CLRD FOR THE APCH. ABT 5 OR 6 MIN LATER, THE ATC CTLR NOTICED THE ACFT WAS APRX 7 MI NW OF THE ARPT, CLIMBING ABV 3000' MSL. MISSED APCH PROCEDURE WAS TO MAKE A LEFT CLIMBING TURN TO 2000', PROCEED BACK TO THE OM & HOLD. WHEN QUERIED, THE PLT SAID THAT HE DID NOT SEE THE RWY. HE REQUESTED ANOTHER APCH & WAS VECTORED BACK TO THE OM, THEN WAS CLRD FOR A 2ND APCH.WITNESSES SAW THE ACFT MAKE A LOW PASS OVER THE RWY AT APRX 150' AGL. THE ARPT ELEV WAS 137'. MIN DSCNT ALT (MDA) FOR THE APCH WAS 600' MSL (900' FOR CIRCLING APCH). AFTER THE LOW PASS, THE ACFT ENTERED A RGT TURN TO THE EAST. (THERE WAS A WELL LIT INDUSTRIAL AREA APRX 1/2 MI EAST OF THE ARPT.) SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT STRUCK TREES & CRASHED AT AN ELEV OF ABT 329. IT CRASHED APRX 2 MI EAST OF THE ARPT WHILE IN A RGT BANK & HDG 117 DEG. ABT 17 MI SOUTH AT EVERETT, THE 1645 WX WAS 100' OBSCD, 1/8 MI VIS WITH FOG; AT 1745, THE EVERETT WX WAS PTLY OBSCD, 5000' SCAT, 1-1/2 MI VIS WITH FOG.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,211 hours in all; 18 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 27 in the last 30 days; 1,059 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,340 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 18, 1988; 18 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,990 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-EB (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: KLS Kelso WA
- Destination: S88 Arlington WA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 34, 5,333 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 010° at 5 knots
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.