Cessna 172 accident near Auburn, Washington, March 30, 1997
On March 30, 1997 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N5115K, was substantially damaged in an accident near Auburn, Washington (Auburn Municipal airport). 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 pilots' inadequate evaluation of the strong winds, when they attempted to turn to taxi with a very strong tailwind. Factors relating to the accident included the high and unfavorable winds.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 30, 1997 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Auburn, Washington · Auburn Municipal · 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
- N5115K · no longer on the register · serial 17273975
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After landing in strong crosswinds, the flight instructor (CFI), receiving a flight review, turned off the active runway to taxi to the ramp. When turning off the runway to the east, away from the prevailing winds, the two CFI's found the winds too excessive to taxi, and decided to turn into the wind again. Before completing the turn, the winds picked up the tail. The airplane nosed over, sustaining damage to the right wing, vertical fin, rudder, and tailcone.
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: 1,320 hours in all; 160 in this make and model; 208 in the last 90 days; 58 in the last 30 days; 1,272 as pilot in command; 948 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,989 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 21, 1997; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S50 at 8:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 3,400 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 30 knots
- 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.
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.