Piper PA-28R-200 accident near Eliza Island, Washington, March 17, 2010
On March 17, 2010 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-28R-200, registered N1KU, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Eliza Island, Washington (Eliz Island Airport). It was a personal 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The total loss of engine power during cruise flight due to the failure of maintenance personnel to tighten a fitting on the propeller governor oil line, which resulted in a loss of engine oil and catastrophic engine failure.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 17, 2010 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Eliza Island, Washington · Eliz Island Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-200 · all PA-28R-200s on the register
- Registration
- N1KU · registry record · serial 28R-7135161
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that the airplane had recently underwent an annual inspection and the accident flight was to be the first flight after the maintenance. After about 10 to 15 minutes into the flight, the engine experienced a total loss of power. During a forced landing to a grass strip, the pilot turned the controls over to his more experienced pilot-rated passenger to perform the landing. As the airplane slowed for landing, the automatic landing gear extension system deployed the landing gear. The airplane subsequently landed short of the runway and the right wing struck a post. The fuselage was twisted and both wings were bent/wrinkled as a result. A postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the crankcase was cracked and the bottom of the fuselage was covered with oil. The oil was traced to originate from a fitting that attached the propeller governor high-pressure oil line from the nose of the crankcase to the propeller governor. The fitting was found to be loose and likely not adequately tightened by maintenance personnel. Maintenance records indicated that during the annual inspection the propeller governor on the engine's accessory section had been removed in an effort to replace its gasket.
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
What happened, in order
- Aircraft maintenance event during prior to flight
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng oil sys › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › (general) › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng oil sys › Failure
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Pole › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 474 hours in all; 221 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 368 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 22, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,278 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 24, 2010
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BLI Bellingham WA at 5:45 pm
- Destination: BLI Bellingham WA
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 16, 1,500 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 4,200 ft
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.53 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from BLI, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 WPR10LA165.