Cessna 172P accident near Friday Harbor, Washington, April 4, 1996
On April 4, 1996 at about 4:30 am local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N51380, was substantially damaged in an accident near Friday Harbor, Washington (Friday Harbor airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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 pilot's misjudgment of the aircraft's altitude above the runway and failure to flare for landing. Darkness (bright night) was a related factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 4, 1996 · about 4:30 am local time
- Place
- Friday Harbor, Washington · Friday Harbor · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N51380 · registry record · serial 17274305
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot, who was landing during the hours of darkness (bright night), thought the aircraft was still about 20 to 30 feet in the air, when its nosewheel slammed into the runway surface. The force of the impact resulted in substantial damage to the aircraft.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 96 hours in all; 18 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 48 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,900 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 21, 1996
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAE Everett WA at 3:55 am
- Destination: FHR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 3,400 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 6,000 ft; scat at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.
Other NTSB records under N51380 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.