Cessna 172S accident near Port Townsend, Washington, November 4, 2010
On November 4, 2010 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172S, registered N14511, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Port Townsend, Washington (Jefferson County International airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper flare/touchdown while landing, resulting in a loss of directional control and a runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 4, 2010 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Port Townsend, Washington · Jefferson County International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N14511 · registry record · serial 172S10582
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a planned full-stop landing, the airplane bounced back into the air after the initial touchdown and then settled to the runway a second time. Almost immediately after the second touchdown the airplane veered sharply to the left and departed the runway surface. Before the pilot could get the airplane to come to a stop its left wing struck a tree, resulting in the airplane spinning. The pilot said that the airplane had no mechanical or directional control anomalies, and that he should have executed a go-around when the airplane first bounced back into the air.
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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 290 hours in all; 290 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: February 26, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 2,558 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Coastal Aviation Capital LLC
The flight
- Departed from: KTIW Tacoma WA at 11:00 pm
- Destination: 0S9 Port Townsend WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 3,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 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 WPR11CA037.