Cessna 182-E accident near Anacortes, Washington, December 17, 1990
On December 17, 1990 at about 4:50 pm local time, a Cessna 182-E, registered N3017Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Anacortes, Washington (Sinclair Island airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE POOR INFLIGHT DECISION BY THE PIC TO LAND ON A SHORT GRASS AIRSTRIP IN STRONG GUSTY TAILWIND CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 17, 1990 · about 4:50 pm local time
- Place
- Anacortes, Washington · Sinclair Island · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182-E · all 182-Es on the register
- Registration
- N3017Y · no longer on the register · serial 18254017
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT LANDED ON A SHORT WET GRASS AIRSTRIP IN STRONG GUSTY TAILWIND WX CONDITIONS AND LOST CONTROL DURING GRND ROLL. THE ACFT DEPARTED THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND IMPACTED TREES.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,566 hours in all; 34 in the last 30 days; 2,376 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,504 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 4, 1990; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: West Isle Air
The flight
- Runway 36, 1,200 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 18 knots, gusting 27
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,200 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 pm from BLI, 11 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.