Piper PA-32-300 accident near Stuart Island, Washington, September 28, 1997
On September 28, 1997 at about 5:45 pm local time, a Piper PA-32-300, registered N55629, was substantially damaged in an accident near Stuart Island, Washington (Stuart Island Gast 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 improper decision to land on a wet grass runway with a ten knot tailwind. Factors were the wet runway surface and tailwind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 28, 1997 · about 5:45 pm local time
- Place
- Stuart Island, Washington · Stuart Island Gast · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-300 · all PA-32-300s on the register
- Registration
- N55629 · registry record · serial 32-7340128
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot elected to land on the 2,100-foot long grass runway with a tailwind of about 10 knots. After the aircraft passed the middle of the runway, the pilot realized that the aircraft would not stop in the remaining distance. Knowing that there was a downhill overrun that ended in the water, as the aircraft neared the end of the runway, the pilot elected to turn off the runway onto up-sloping terrain covered by tall grass. While rolling through the tall grass, the aircraft encountered a drainage ditch, resulting in the collapse of the nose gear and one main gear.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 830 hours in all; 55 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 780 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,747 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 2, 1997; 98 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-K1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TDO Toledo WA at 4:15 pm
- Destination: 7WA5
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 2,100 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 045° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 15,000 ft; scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.