Piper PA-24-260 accident near Sequim, Washington, April 14, 1997
On April 14, 1997 at about 9:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-24-260, registered N8645P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sequim, Washington. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot-in-command's improper fuel management, which resulted in fuel starvation and loss of engine power. A factor was trees in the forced landing area.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 14, 1997 · about 9:15 pm local time
- Place
- Sequim, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-260 · all PA-24-260s on the register
- Registration
- N8645P · no longer on the register · serial 24-4088
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The aircraft lost engine power about 10 minutes after takeoff and subsequently contacted trees in a forced landing attempt onto a road. On-site examination revealed that the aircraft's left wing tanks were empty and its right wing tanks, which had been fueled prior to the last departure, were full. Fuel samples taken from the aircraft and from the fuel tanks at the departure airport showed no visual evidence of contamination or impurities. In a post-accident test, the aircraft's engine started, ran, and responded to throttle changes when supplied with fuel (drained from the accident aircraft's tanks) through the feed line from the tank found selected at the accident site.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,000 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,324 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 20, 1996; 37 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-D4A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PWT Bremerton WA at 9:00 pm
- Destination: CLM Port Angeles WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,800 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.