Cessna 172 accident near Seattle, Washington, March 11, 1994
On March 11, 1994 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N52807, was substantially damaged in an accident near Seattle, Washington (Boeing Field). It was an instructional 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 STUDENT'S IMPROPER FLARE FOR LANDING AND THE INSTRUCTOR'S DELAYED REMEDIAL ACTION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 11, 1994 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Seattle, Washington · Boeing Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N52807 · no longer on the register · serial 17274611
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING AN ATTEMPTED TOUCH-AND-GO LANDING, THE DUAL STUDENT PILOT ALLOWED THE NOSE GEAR TO CONTACT THE RUNWAY PRIOR TO THE MAINS. THE NOSEWHEEL IMPACTED WITH SUFFICIENT ENERGY TO RESULT IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT'S FIREWALL.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 674 hours in all; 201 in this make and model; 65 in the last 90 days; 32 in the last 30 days; 582 as pilot in command; 251 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,334 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, February 24, 1994; 18 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0, 3,710 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N52807 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.