Cessna 177RG accident near Monroe, Washington, December 15, 1988
On December 15, 1988 at about 1:10 am local time, a Cessna 177RG, registered N51386, was substantially damaged in an accident near Monroe, Washington (Firstair airport). It was a business 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).
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 November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 15, 1988 · about 1:10 am local time · cases in 1988
- Place
- Monroe, Washington · Firstair · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177RG · all 177RGs on the register
- Registration
- N51386 · registry record · serial 1138
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
PLT WAS LNDG ON UNLIT STRIP (CENTER REFLECTORS) AT NIGHT AND ALLOWED ACFT TO DRIFT LEFT ON LNDG ROLL. ACFT CONTACTED DIRT MOUND ADJACENT TO RUNWAY.
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: 618 hours in all; 64 in this make and model; 33 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,701 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 20, 1988; 78 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1B6D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 1,800 ft by 30 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Wind: from 320° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 75 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 27°F (-3°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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N51386 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 177 Cardinal 2,159 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,685 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1B6D 844 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- South Cove Heliport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Washington 2,713 since 1982 · 362 in the last ten years
- Washington 10,633 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/SEA89LA025.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.