Piper PA-28-161 accident near Seattle, Washington, May 31, 1996
On May 31, 1996 at about 7:29 am local time, a Piper PA-28-161, registered N47852, was destroyed in an accident near Seattle, Washington. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An intentional plan or decision by the pilot to ditch the airplane in Puget Sound.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 31, 1996 · about 7:29 am local time
- Place
- Seattle, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N47852 · no longer on the register · serial 28-7816145
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
At 0027, the pilot reported to Boeing Field Tower that he was 10 miles northwest of the airport, and he requested a stop-and-go landing. At 0028, the pilot told the tower he had lost engine power over Elliott Bay and was attempting a restart. Radio and radar contact with the aircraft was lost at 0029 when it was over Puget Sound about 1/2 mile north-northeast of Alki Point. A U.S. Coast Guard search did not locate the aircraft, although an oil slick was found on the water in the vicinity of the last radar position. The pilot turned himself in to authorities 3-1/2 weeks after the disappearance and was charged with mail fraud (for false insurance claims he made for his flying club) as well as making a false distress signal (in connection with this disappearance.) In a plea agreement, the pilot pleaded guilty to both charges. The aircraft was not recovered, nor was its location verified.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
- Not recorded
The flight
- Departed from: PAE Everett WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Wind: from 340° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:50 am from BFI, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
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.