Cessna 172B accident near Sinclair Island, Washington, May 27, 1995
On May 27, 1995 at about 5:15 pm local time, a Cessna 172B, registered N7996X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sinclair Island, Washington (Sinclair airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO ATTAIN THE PROPER TOUCHDOWN POINT. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE A TAILWIND, WET GRASS, AND THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE REMEDIAL ACTION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 27, 1995 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- Sinclair Island, Washington · Sinclair · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172B · all 172Bs on the register
- Registration
- N7996X · registry record · serial 17248496
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THAT DUE TO THE DOWNWIND LANDING ON THE WET GRASS STRIP, THE TOUCHDOWN POINT WAS FURTHER DOWN THE RUNWAY THAN ANTICIPATED. UPON TOUCHDOWN, THE PILOT APPLIED LIGHT BRAKING, AND THE BRAKES LOCKED UP IMMEDIATELY. BRAKING CONTINUED TO BE INEFFECTIVE DUE TO THE WET GRASS. THE PILOT RELEASED THE BRAKES FOR DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND THEN REAPPLIED THEM; THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED SLIDING AND FINALLY IMPACTED A BARBED WIRE FENCE AT THE END OF THE AIRSTRIP.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 932 hours in all; 620 in this make and model; 182 in the last 90 days; 87 in the last 30 days; 851 as pilot in command; 222 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,553 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 17, 1994; 167 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,220 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S50 Auburn WA at 4:25 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 1,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 5 knots, gusting 10
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number SEA95LA107.