Piper PA-30 accident near Everett, Washington, June 4, 1998
On June 4, 1998, a Piper PA-30, registered N98NT, suffered minor damage in an accident near Everett, Washington (Snohomish County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot-in-command's exiting the aircraft with both engines running to remove a wheel chock. A factor was the inadequate preflight of the aircraft (not removing the chock) prior to engine start.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 4, 1998
- Place
- Everett, Washington · Snohomish County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-30 · all PA-30s on the register
- Registration
- N98NT · registry record · serial 30-927
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot taxied the twin engine PA-30 (90 gallon fuel capacity) to a self service fueling island. There, he fueled the aircraft with 58.15 gallons of fuel at 1503. The aircraft was taxied back to the pilot's hangar area. Sometime thereafter, the pilot had used a jumper cable to connect the battery of his car to the aircraft's electrical system at the power receptacle located on the left side of the nose. Approximately 1732, with both engines running, the pilot exited the aircraft to remove the chock from the nose-wheel during which the aircraft rolled forward (east) and eventually impacted a parked Cessna primarily along its leading edge of the right wing. The PA-30's right engine stopped upon wing contact, and the momentum carried both aircraft in a clockwise arc a short distance southeast. The PA-30's left engine continued running after the collision. At a point consistent with the PA-30's initial contact with the Cessna, a pool of blood identified the spot were the pilot was first struck by the PA-30's left propeller. He drug himself under the PA-30 and into a 4:30 position stopping at a point close to the nose-wheel chock which was entangled in the jumper cables. A witness who spoke with the pilot reported that he remarked that 'I knew better, (unknown) was not removed, and the wind caught me.' The pilot was airlifted to a major hospital and expired approximately 10 hours later.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 14,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,049 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 1996; 39 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-320-B1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAE
- Destination: Unknown
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number SEA98LA085.